


Blood and Salvation

by That_One_Curly_Haired_Fangirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Bisexual Dean, Courtroom Drama, Detective Castiel, Eventual Castiel/Dean Winchester, F/M, M/M, Season 4 parallels, Torture, serial killer au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-03-07 15:37:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 68
Words: 58,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_One_Curly_Haired_Fangirl/pseuds/That_One_Curly_Haired_Fangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester was just a mechanic living a normal life until he was captured by the serial killer that had been terrorizing the city he lived in. Can Detective Castiel Novak find him in time to save him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright guys here is my latest chapter fic! As usual updates will be every other day unless I can't update (I'll probably give a heads up if that's the case) and the chapters in this one will be short (so far about 700 words is the average, but some are less). But I already have about 40 chapters done so don't worry about this getting abandoned or taking a big hiatus. 
> 
> And just a warning before you get in to this: there are some torture scenes. I'll put warnings on the chapters in case you want to skip them. They aren't super graphic but there is more detail then my stuff normally has.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the fic!

Dean carefully backed the Impala down the alleyway next to his apartment building. It was pretty wide, but if he wasn't careful he'd ding his baby on the dumpster along the side. When he had his car back far enough to discourage people on the street from messing with it, he put the car in park and pulled the key out of the ignition. He grabbed his phone and slipped it into his jacket pocket with his keys as he got out of the car and locked it. He had to remember to call Sam. Dean always checked in with his little brother after they went out, whether it was to commiserate over hangovers, brag about whoever he went home with, or make more plans. Really it was just the Dean being the protective older brother and making sure Sam made it home ok. Or congratulating him if he made it to someone else's home. 

But his sasquatch of a little brother seemed especially freaked out now. The whole city was really. Bodies had started showing up all cut up, mutilated beyond recognition. One creative but sadistic news outlet called this killer "Picasso with a razor blade" because it looked like the deaths had been drawn out for days. But Dean really wasn't all that concerned. He was pretty big and strong and he could handle himself in a fight. Sure he'd had a few drinks, but it's not like he'd never fought drunk before. Besides, he was almost to his door anyways. As he walked past the dumpster near the entrance to the alley Dean pulled out his keys out of his pocket and began to spin them around a finger. _Sammy shouldn't worry, nothing's gonna happen to me._ Dean smirked at the thought.

Caught up in his thoughts and still a little buzzed, Dean didn't notice the figure lurking behind the dumpster with a metal baseball bat. He walked past, completely oblivious. He heard footsteps behind him just in time for something hard to hit the back of his head and everything to go black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow 2 comments, 2 kudos, and a subscriber! Thanks guys! I'm glad to see there's so much interest in this. 
> 
> And just a heads up the torture technically starts at the end of this chapter, but it isn't explicit.

When Dean came to, he was quickly aware of a few things. One, his head still hurt like hell and it was definitely from more than a hangover. The throbbing and dizziness that remained made him wonder if he'd gotten a concussion. Two, he couldn't move. He still had his t-shirt and jeans on, but he was shackled at the wrists and ankles to something in a mainly upright position. Dean smirked a bit. _Kinky._ But his smile dropped and the thought left his mind as he opened his eyes and took a deep breath and was hit with the sights and smells of filth and blood everywhere. 

He was in some sort of bare basement or warehouse type room, and there was another person strapped to the rack across from him in the same way he was. It was a girl, early or mid-twenties by the looks of it, with brown hair. She was pretty well dressed in a pair of nice jeans and a blouse that looked a little worse for wear, probably because of the room they were in. She might have been pretty once, but now she looked exhausted and was covered in bruises and small cuts. But she was still breathing.

"Hey, you ok?" Dean frowned a little when his voice came out hoarse, like he hadn't had anything to drink for far too long. The only response he got from across the way was an attempt by the girl to raise her head before her eyes fixated on something behind him with a look of pure terror and a voice came from the shadows behind Dean that made his blood run cold. 

"Oh good, sleeping beauty's awakened." The voice had a slight lisp and seemed like the kind of voice that would come out a windowless van as the driver offered children candy that didn't really exist. "I would hate for you to miss the good part. You'd been out for so long I was beginning to think I'd broken you before we'd had any fun. But now the real fun can start." As he said this a lanky man with short, balding hair stepped out of the shadows and came around to look at Dean. He had a terrifying smile to match the voice. "And I can tell just how much fun I'll have with you." The man grew closer as he spoke and Dean cringed in an attempt to get away as the man grabbed Dean's chin with one hand, turning his face slightly as if trying to find the best angle to cut into it. "But first, I'll finish with her." He began to walk away from Dean towards the girl, who was now looking up with a terrified expression. "Unless you'd like a turn?" The man turned to Dean with an almost hopeful look in his eyes that made Dean's stomach twist as he twirled a blade he'd pulled out to emphasize what he meant.

Dean worked up his best sarcastic smile. "I'd rather not, thanks. I'm not really interested in becoming a monster like you."

"Now, now," the man said, turning back to Dean. "Watch your tongue. We wouldn't want to have to cut it out, now would we?" Dean flinched again as the man got closer, raising his blade. "But lucky for you, that's only a first offense." He then punched Dean in the stomach hard enough that he would have doubled over if he hadn't been strapped down. "You'll never make it off the racks with an attitude like that. And trust me, it is far more fun to do the cutting." With those comments and a sick grin he turned around and advanced on the girl. "Now sugar, shall we begin?" He glanced back at Dean one last time as he raised the blade. "Pay attention now, you could be standing here next."

Dean purposely averted his eyes as the girl began to scream and the other man laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone have any guesses about who the torturer is? Leave a comment and I'll tell you if you guessed right.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First off thank you to my 3 new subscribers as well as the person who left kudos and my commenter. You guys are the reason I'm remembering to update instead of abandoning this in favor of a Harry Potter marathon with my friends.
> 
> Enjoy! Also this chapter is 100% torture free.

Sam was concerned. It was almost one on Saturday and he still hadn't heard from Dean. Sure, they'd been out pretty late last night and gotten a little drunk, but Dean always called either when he got home or the next morning to make sure Sam got back to his apartment and to let him know that he'd made it to his place. Plus Dean would complain about his hangover or brag about his one night stand. Dean would normally be up by now, despite his hangover. He wouldn't skip calling Sam. Since their Dad died the brothers were practically all each other had. Plus, Dean was ridiculously overprotective of his little brother and Sam knew Dean would want to know he was ok. Especially since the whole city was going crazy over the murders. Sam could handle himself in a fight and he was huge, but Dean still treated him like little Sammy, his baby brother. Overprotective and mother hen like til the end.

Sam decided to call Dean's cell. No answer. Maybe he'd left it in the Impala? Sam tried Dean's apartment. Still no answer. Maybe he'd gone somewhere? But he didn't have his phone. Sam decided it was time to start investigating. 

__________

Meg finally got herself out of bed a little after one. She groaned a bit from where her head throbbed from her hangover. _Well, time for another day in hell._ She got looked out her window into the rundown neighborhood around her. No one from the nicer part of the city ever dared to venture into this part of the town. They were all so scared they even called it Hell. But that suited Meg just fine. She was on Lucifer's good side, so despite the chaos all around her things were pretty good. Meg still thought it was a little extreme that Lucifer actually named himself after the devil, but it certainly fit. The man was ruthless and ran this part of town with an iron fist. He and his gang were the reason no outsiders ever went here. Or if they did, they didn't make it out. She knew that the cops probably had a ton of evidence on Lucifer, easily enough to take down her boss. She always wondered how he didn't get caught. But whenever anyone asked, he simply said he "had it taken care of." Whatever that meant. 

Meg shrugged it off and went to get dressed. She was still wearing the clothes she wore from when she went out last night. She hadn't made it home until it was so late it was almost early. Suddenly she remembered something she'd seen as she'd stumbled to her apartment last night. She was pretty sure she saw Alistair, her neighbor, dragging some dude towards his basement. _I wonder what's going on there._ On some level though, Meg could guess. Alistair had always creeped her out, and when bodies started showing up rumors spread that he’d finally cracked. Lucifer had always depended on him to punish those that crossed him, and from what Meg had seen the results were pretty gruesome. But Lucifer always demanded that the people live. After all, cops start showing up when bodies begin to drop. 

But now there were bodies and they were carved up in a way that would make a Spanish Inquisitor faint. All chicks so far too, and wasn't that comforting. But now Alistair had dragged some dude into his basement. This couldn't end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meg is an underappreciated character. I should put her in more fics. She does pop up at the end of All is Fair if you're interested (and yes, I'm shamelessly self promoting here. But it is a good fic if I do say so myself). Anyways hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! First off thanks to my new subscriber and the 3 people who left kudos. You guys are awesome!
> 
> And just a heads up there are references to torture in this chapter, but it's nothing graphic. Really just some context on the conditions they're in. And you find out who's trapped with Dean. But I'll let you read it for yourself.
> 
> Enjoy!

After what seemed like hours of cutting, the man had left to give them "recovery time." The girl passed out immediately, with only the occasional whimper of pain and the barely noticeable rising of her chest to signify she was still alive. Dean couldn't sleep initially because of both the uncomfortable position and what he'd just witnessed. Eventually though exhaustion won out and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

When he woke up, Dean decided to try talking to the girl again. "Hey, you up?" He received a slight groan in response as the girl lifted her head slightly. "What's your name? How long have you been here?"

"Bela. Bela Talbot," the girl identified herself with a slight British accent. "I've been here for a few days already, and no, he doesn't let you off the rack for anything, even going to the bathroom." She made a disgusted face and shifted uncomfortably.

Dean echoed her expression of disgust. “Great. Anything else I should know? Is there anyone else here?”

Bela’s expression shifted as she recalled more. She took a ragged breath and a haunted look settled in her eyes. "There was another girl here, Ruby I think. He made me watch while he tore her apart." Bela shuddered, glancing up to look Dean in the eye. "Then he started on me. What you see here is just the start." She made a small gesture with her hand to indicate her numerous cuts and bruises. "This is really only from since Ruby died." Her tone suddenly became very defeated. "He made some comment about being disappointed Ruby lasted less than a week. I don't think I've got much longer."

That more than anything made Dean's protective older brother instincts kick in. "No. Don't think like that. We're getting out of here. I'll get you out of here. I promise."

Bela just looked at him with a sad smile. "I already know what's waiting for me. I appreciate the concern, but don't waste your effort."

Dean wanted to respond, but before he could he heard the creaking of a door in the distance.

__________

The first place Sam looked was Dean's apartment. He could still see the Impala parked in the alley around the corner, but the place looked empty. He let himself in with his spare key and went upstairs

"Dean?" Sam shouted out. No response. Sam looked around the apartment. The kitchen was empty. Dean wasn't on the couch watching tv either. Sam made his way back to Dean's room. The bed didn't even look slept in. 

_Maybe Dean picked up somebody after I left and went back to their place,_ Sam thought. But the Impala was there. Dean was protective of his car; he wouldn't just leave it and then go to some girl's place. He'd drive her there in his car, showing off and bragging about the classic car the whole time.

Maybe he parked it there then went to Bobby's. It was only a block away. Would Dean have work today though? Sam decided to go down to the garage to check it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bela is another underappreciated character in my opinion. She doesn't pop up in my other stuff (yet), but she will be important here.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok first things first thank you to the person who left kudos and the commenter. You guys are great!
> 
> And just a warning there is torture in the first half of this chapter. Still not very graphic (especially compared to how the show gets), but I thought I'd give you a heads up. 
> 
> Enjoy!

"Well, well. Looks like you're both up. Good." The voice still made Dean's skin crawl. "Time for your water. Can't have you dying of something silly like dehydration, now can we?" Dean turned his head away as the man approached with a cup, but the man grabbed his head and forced the water into his mouth. "Tsk tsk. I thought I warned you about disobedience yesterday. I guess I'll have to teach you again. But that can wait for now." He walked across the room to Bela, who didn't even put up the feeblest resistance when he offered her the water. Then he threw aside the cup and began to cut her again, but this time she didn't scream, only sob and groan quietly.

He paused in his torture. "Oh, there is a way to waive your punishment," the man said, speaking over Bela's whimpers and looking over his shoulder at Dean with a sick grin. "If you agree to be my protégée, you get off the rack, get to learn this fine art," he demonstrated what he was talking about with another small cut across Bela's skin, "and you won't be hurt. Do we have a deal?"

"Go to Hell. I'd rather stab myself than learn anything from you." Dean was a little weaker this time, but he still got his point across. 

"Again? Well your loss. Time for your punishment then." With that he strode over to Dean and punched him in the side hard enough that Dean thought he felt some ribs crack. Then he hit Dean again, this time an uppercut to the chin that caused his still sensitive head to slam into the rack behind him. "Reconsidering the offer?"

"Still a no, jackass." Dean said, spitting out a little blood from where he'd bit his tongue when he got hit. 

"Too bad. Your loss." The man shrugged it off and retuned to Bela. Dean turned his head away, the new throbbing pain combining with the old to lead him to unconsciousness as the cries and screams began anew.

__________

Sam opened the door to Singer's Auto Repair and walked in. Dean would probably be here. He spent most of his time here, either hanging out with Bobby or working on cars. He walked up to the reception desk with a distracted look on his face. 

"Hey Sam, what can I do for you?" Jo asked from behind the desk. 

"Hi Jo. Is Dean here?" Sam tried to seem easygoing, but he was a little concerned at this point. 

"Nope. What's up?" Her tone was cautious, like she already knew there was something wrong despite his attempted nonchalance. Sam really should have known better than to think he could trick Jo. She'd grown up with them.

"Dean didn't call to let me know he got home ok last night or make sure I did. He always does when we're out late." Sam's voice grew increasing frantic as he continued. "And then I looked at his apartment and he wasn't there, but his car was. He never goes anywhere without the Impala. If she's still in the alley he'd either be at his apartment or here. But he isn't at either. And there's some Jack the Ripper wannabe on the loose, it's just too much. I'm just worried about him, ok?"

"Dude, you call each other after every night out? Codependent much?" Jo began to laugh, but stopped when Sam made one of his signature bitchfaces. "Look, Dean's a big boy. He can take care of himself. He's probably just at some girl's house. But tell you what. Dean has work tomorrow. If he doesn't show up and you haven't heard from him, I'll go with you to the police station to report him missing. Deal?"

"Alright. But I'm not gonna stop looking." Sam stared down at Jo.

"I know, you big moose." Jo smiled reassuringly at him. "Now get a move on before you scare away other customers with all your mother hen fretting." With that Jo turned back to the computer on her desk, a silent signal for Sam to leave. He walked away, thinking of the next place Dean could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also just so you know I will be away from my computer all weekend so the next update will be on Monday. Afterwards I should be back to my usual every other day schedule.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise chapter! I got back earlier than I thought I would so this chapter is a day early. And thank you to the 2 people who left kudos and the person who left a comment. You guys are the reason I'm posting this today instead of waiting.
> 
> Just a heads up, there isn't any torture in this chapter but there is the aftermath of it in the first scene. The second half has none though.
> 
> Enjoy!

When Dean woke up again, he and Bela were once again alone. His head still hurt like a bitch, but Bela immediately grabbed his attention. She looked terrible. Her clothes were ripped and bloodstained. Chunks of hair appeared to be ripped out, and she had bloody gauze all over her arms and part of her legs. He decided to see if she was still up. "Bela? You still breathing over there?"

"I'm up," Bela groaned, wincing as she lifted her head to look at Dean.

"What's up with the mummification?" Dean made a small gesture with his fingers (really all he could do with his wrists shackled to the rack) to indicate her arms and legs. 

"It's something he does so we can't bleed out. He says that dying of blood loss would be too quick and ruin his fun." She shuddered. "He started doing this to Ruby two days before she died. Afterwards it was all downhill. First the arms and legs, then the face, then the torso, then...." Bela trailed off with a haunted look in her eyes. "She didn't make it to a next part."

Dean bristled at her defeatist attitude. "Hey! Keep it together. I'm getting us out of here. Just let me think of a plan."

Bela laughed hollowly. "How? The only way you'd get off that rack is if you agree to torture too."

"There has to be another way. Just wait. I'll think of something." Dean began to run through scenarios in his head as Bela closed her eyes and tried to get some rest. 

__________

Sam's last stop was the Roadhouse. As far as he knew that was the last place anyone had seen Dean. It would also be where he picked up a guy or girl if he went home with someone the night before. Sam hoped that was all this was. It had happened before. Sam barely heard from Dean that weekend he met that yoga instructor Lisa. Afterwards when he finally saw Dean again and asked where he'd been Dean just got that little smirk that meant Sam really didn't want to know what happened. Disturbing as the mental images had been when Dean started doing his usual post hookup bragging, Sam really hoped that was the case this time. The alternative wasn't something he wanted to consider. 

The Roadhouse was starting to fill up by the time Sam got there around 5. Sam walked past the regulars to where Ellen was tending the bar. Everyone knew and loved the owner of the bar, and nothing happened without her knowing about it. He pulled up a stool near where she was pouring out some whiskey for another customer and waved her over.

"Hey Sam. What'll ya have?" Ellen asked.

"Hi Ellen. I'll just have a beer." Sam felt a little nervous. "Hey have you heard from Dean by any chance?"

Ellen glanced up from when she was grabbing a beer for Sam when she heard his worried tone. "Not today. Jo said you were looking for him. What's up?"

"I haven't heard from him all day. Typically he checks in to make sure I made it home alright after we go out, but he hasn't called me all day.” Sam frowned, knowing Ellen would have already picked up on how worried he was. “Did you see him leave with anyone last night?"

Ellen thought for a moment, then replied. "I don't think so. He left not long after your did, alone."

"Really? Are you sure?" Sam felt his concern grow. "The last time he didn't call right away was because of a girl. But this time..." He trailed off with a distant look in his eyes, then looked back at Ellen. "I'm just a little freaked with all of this serial killer stuff going around, you know?"

Ellen gave him a sympathetic look. "I know. But Dean's a big boy. He can handle himself. Why don't you just relax today and tomorrow you can go with Jo to report him missing? There really isn't much else to do today. You've already looked everywhere."

"I guess you're right," Sam replied and took a sip of beer, still looking a little sulky. "But tomorrow morning I'm gonna check it out more."

"I know you are Sam. Now don't forget to take care of yourself though.” She gave him a look showing there was no room for argument. “Eat something, go home and get some sleep tonight. You're useless for a search and rescue if you're burned out, and I know you Winchesters get all protective of each other and self-sacrificial if the occasion arises."

"Alright Ellen. I'll look out for myself." Sam smiled a bit at Ellen's maternal concern and went back to his drink even if ominous thoughts still lingered at the back of his brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for hurting Bela. But Dean's trying to help, and Sam's trying to get the search and rescue going. I won't say anything spoilery though. But it is already written.
> 
> Also I hope you guys are enjoying all my subtle bi!Dean moments. It's really easy to just say he went home with "someone" instead of "some girl" and just do little things like that to show a character is bi. Too bad professional writers haven't figured that out yet. (In case you're wondering, that last bit is sarcasm from an annoyed bisexual girl. Representation really isn't that hard people.)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off thanks to all the awesome people who have gotten this fic to 10 kudos, 5 comments (not counting my replies), and 5 subscribers! Your feedback and interest seriously makes my day.
> 
> No torture this chapter (although it does have Alistair being creepy and threatening and referencing torture and death). And yes, props to anyone who guessed Alistair was the torturer/murderer. Your prize is bragging rights and an unknown number of future chapters to read (which you can totally still read if you didn't guess right).
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Meg was just getting back to her apartment after dinner when she saw Alistair leaving his basement carrying a large, lumpy bag. _Oh shit. That's totally a corpse. He really is the killer._ Not really sure what she was doing, Meg decided to call out to him. "Hey freak. Whatcha got there?"

"None of your business," he hissed as he awkwardly dumped the bag into the trunk of his car. 

Meg felt a bit scared, but covered it with a sneer. "Yeah, I guess it's better not to know what the neighborhood creep is up too. I wouldn't want to be implicated when Lucifer stops needing you and lets the cops drag your sorry ass to jail."

Alistair turned towards her, creepy gaze at full strength. "I'd watch your tongue, _child_." He spat out the last word as an insult. "I'm far less replaceable than you. You think Lucifer can't just find another little slum girl when he finally gets tired of your insolence? The only reason he tolerates you as is is because Azazel was your daddy." He had been pacing closer to her as he talked, and he roughly grabbed her jaw when he was close enough despite Meg's attempts to get away. Alistair stared at her face in an accessing way as he spoke. "I do hope he lets me have you when he's done. You'd look so pretty in shreds. Maybe if my new boy finally breaks I'll let him have a turn too. We can celebrate his apprenticeship with your corpse."

At that point Meg finally succeeded in shoving him off and backed away a few steps. "Don't you ever touch me again you sick freak." Her voice shook a little, showing her fear. She knew what he was capable of. 

"Aw what's the matter, gonna run off and tell your boyfriend? Lucifer won't do anything to me. So enjoy that pretty little face while you can." With that Alistair shut his trunk on what was definitely a body and drove off. 

Meg decided that it was definitely time to make a call about her not-so-friendly neighborhood serial killer. And she knew just who to call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses on who Meg's gonna call? I'll tell you if you're right in the comments. Or on my tumblr. Either way, hit me up to win bragging rights. 
> 
> Also don't worry, neither Bela nor Dean is the one in the body bag. They're both still alive. For now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok first off to the 2 commenters and the person who bookmarked this! You guys are awesome. 
> 
> Are you ready for some new characters? No torture this chapter, just some familiar faces. Enjoy!

Detective Castiel Novak showed up for work at the station at his usual time the next morning. Even with the town teetering at the edge of panic because of the serial killer on the loose, his job hadn't changed all that much. Maintain order, stop what crime you could, solve the cases given to you, and don't cross the invisible but so known barrier into Lucifer's territory. Castiel had made that mistake once, and what he saw there terrified him. He might not have made it out if he hadn't encountered a (perhaps too) friendly woman who said her name was Meg and guided him out safely. She kept getting his name wrong though, and he thought she did it just to bother him. Castiel refocused as he sat down at his desk. There was a killer afoot, and someone had to catch them before more bodies appeared. 

"Hello Castiel." Castiel looked up when he heard his name, right at the face of his partner, Uriel James. They'd known each other since the police academy and Castiel had been thrilled when they made detective at the same time and got partnered up. They'd been a team for years and worked well together. "Check these out." Castiel looked at the photographs Uriel tossed on his desk and almost wished he hadn't instantly. It was a body, definitely the work of the killer they were tracking. There were cuts everywhere, and it looked like the poor girl had suffered extensively before her death. "How many is this again?" Uriel asked.

"This is the fourth body that's shown up." Castiel answered with a grimace. "Should we go investigate the scene?"

"No. Forensics already looked at it," Uriel replied. "Still no evidence of our mystery murderer. The bodies have shown up in different parts of town, and the only thing linking our victims was that they were all so mutilated we couldn't even ID them. That and that they're all girls so far."

"So far? Do you expect more?" Castiel felt concern about his partner’s pessimistic view.

Uriel merely shrugged. "I wouldn't rule it out."

Before Castiel could respond to his friend's grisly comment, Head Detective Anna Milton walked in. Both detectives immediately straightened up in the presence of their boss. 

"Hey boys, the Chief wants to see you. Let's go." Anna promptly turned around and gestured for them to follow with her hand. Castiel and Uriel shared a confused glance before following. When they got to the chief's office Anna stopped them.

"Alright, now you have to understand, I gave you this case because I trust you guys can handle it, not because I wanted you to have to deal with the media circus, got it?" At her expectant look they both nodded, then followed her into the Chief's office.

Chief of Police Michael Angelos was an intimidating man. He had become chief remarkably young, and some people said it was only because he'd ingratiated himself with the last chief by doing whatever he wanted. Not that anyone had been particularly sad to see Chief Zachariah Adler go. He hadn't been the most popular amongst his subordinates and the general public seemed reluctant to trust him. He just wasn't that likable. So despite his general effectiveness at the job, the Mayor fired him and gave Michael the job at Zachariah's suggestion. But Michael also did his job with ruthless efficiency. He could turn on the charm for the public, but everyone in the station knew not to get on his bad side. 

"Gentlemen!" Michael greeted them with a fake smile. "Anna tells me you have a certain high profile case?"

Uriel spoke up first. "If you are referring to serial killer case then yes, that's us."

"Great." Michael's smile dropped. "The media is all over this case, but it's important we don't start a panic. So whatever you find, including the body that showed up today, keep it quiet. We wouldn't want to worry the civilians, now would we?"

Uriel and Casitel replied with a simultaneous "Yes, sir" that made Michael nod.

"Good. Now get this case figured out. It reflects poorly on the department if we don't stop these criminals. Go get back to work." With this dismissal they promptly left the office and returned to trying to pull conclusions or connections from the mangled corpses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone seems awkward, remember this is supposed to be season 4 versions of most people. Not that many of them made it that far past season 4 besides Cas, but whatever. Some awkwardness may also be attributed to the fact that this was written fairly early in my fanfic writing career. But hey, everybody's gotta start somewhere.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first thank you to my new subscriber. I love to see your guys' interest!
> 
> Heads up for torture in this chapter.

Dean found himself waking up from an uncomfortable sleep he didn't remember starting. For a moment he hoped that everything from the past day had just been a horrible nightmare. But his head still ached, his ribs shifted painfully with every breath, he felt other bruises forming, he still couldn't move, he still smelt the gag inducing stench of gore, and now his stomach was beginning to grumble because he hadn't eaten anything since the burger he had with Sam when they went to the Roadhouse for drinks on Friday. Then a whimper from across the room caught his attention and he mentally kicked himself for his self-centered rumination.

Bela was still breathing on the rack across from him, but she didn't look good. Her arms and legs were still gauze wrapped and the reddish spots from blood had begun to spread. She was still breathing though, and that was what was important. 

"Hey," Dean asked softly, "how're you doing?"

Bela lifted her head a little and coughed up what Dean really hoped wasn't blood before she replied. "Still alive for now. Not sure how long I'll have once the pit master returns though. When he had Ruby like this it didn't take long for him to finish her off."

"Hey, what did I say about giving up before? I **will** get us out of here." Dean said it with more conviction than he felt; they'd been there for a while and Bela didn't look too good. But before either of them could respond they heard the door open and their captor returned. 

"Aww, it's so cute when you start bonding. It makes it all the more fun for me when you have to watch each other die." The eternally creepy lisping voice preceded its owner by a few moments before the man himself appeared and walked up to Bela with a cloth in his hands which he tied around her head to form a crude gag. "Now you know I love those screams of yours, but today I'm teaching him so I need to be able to hear myself, and he needs to be able to hear me." Bela shot Dean a look of panic and betrayal before he spoke up.

"Wait wait wait. I didn't agree to any of this, like I said before, I'd rather die here than learn from you." Dean tried to summon some of his usual bravado but couldn't quite muster up his usual amount. 

"I know." The creep replied. "But maybe you'll see how fun it is that you'll just beg to get off that rack and join me."

"As if." Dean huffed out a feeble attempt at a laugh. It wasn't very convincing.

"Anyways." The killer turned from Dean back to Bela to begin his lesson. "The trick is to avoid major arteries and veins because they make the person bleed out too quickly. Now, you better be paying attention back there."

Despite the blows that he knew would come later, Dean tried to close his eyes, even if he couldn't block the sound of Bela’s muffled screams. 

__________

Sam walked into Singer Auto Repair around one; an hour into when Dean's shift should have started. His didn’t have high hopes since he still hadn’t heard from his brother, but he didn’t want to give up yet. He looked at Jo expectantly. "Is he here?"

Jo now looked concerned and a little scared of Sam's reaction to want she would say. "We haven't heard anything from Dean. He's never late, and he isn't here. Maybe you were right to be concerned."

Sam gave an exasperated sigh. He hadn't slept well the previous night because he was worried. Now his fears seemed to be coming true. "Will you come with me to the station?"

"Of course. Let me just check in with Bobby to tell him where I'm going."

She went into the back for a few minutes while Sam fidgeted nervously. Finally she returned.

"I filled in Bobby and he says I can go. I think he's worried too. He told me to 'make sure they find that idjit.' I guess we better get a move on." With that she grabbed her jacket and headed out, followed closely but Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey if any of you are interested I might be posting a show-related fic before the next episode, so keep an eye on my account. Tbh I'm writing this half so now I have to actually write the fic instead of just thinking about it. Anyways, check it out if you want to. No pressure.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! Thank you to my new subscriber as well as the person who bookmarked and the person who left kudos. You guys are awesome!
> 
> No torture this chapter, if any of you were concerned. Dean and Bela live another day. Enjoy!

When they got to the station it was fairly busy, but Jo quickly helped Sam find the necessary officer to file a missing persons report. Sam sagged a little as the officer walked away to get the proper paperwork. She had tried to reassure them, but Sam had a bad feeling about everything still.

At his desk nearby, Castiel couldn't help but eavesdrop as the tall long haired man and the blonde woman reported someone missing. The tall man seemed very distressed. Castiel wondered if the missing person could be connected to his case, but doubted it as they began to describe the man who went missing. His suspect, although still unidentified, seemed to prefer abducting women. It was still concerning though. Castiel pushed away his gut feeling that nagged at him that something was wrong here and began to study the case file again in hopes of seeing something new. He looked up when the other people left. 

"What a waste of time. Reporting a simple missing persons case when there's a killer in the loose. Our manpower isn't infinite." Uriel sneered at their retreating forms. "Stupid civilians."

"Uriel, they are merely concerned for their family member. It's perfectly understandable." Castiel looked at Uriel with a hint of worry. If they stopped caring about people, what was the point of doing their jobs? 

"Whatever. I'm off for my lunch break. I'll see you later." With that Uriel walked off. Castiel was about to leave as well when his phone rang.

Castiel sat back down to pick it up. "Hello?" 

"Hey Clarence." A familiar voice drawled out from the other end of the line.

"Meg? Why are you calling?" Castiel was confused. He'd only met the girl once and had no idea how she got his work number.

"I may or may not know some juicy intel about a certain string of murders. A who and a where perhaps." Castiel could hear Meg’s smirk in her slow drawl.

Castiel's attention was instantly piqued. "Who it is? Do you know?"

"Easy Clarence. I've got reason to believe that things aren't exactly kosher over there. So in order to save my ass I'm not going to tell you like this. Meet me tonight at seven at the park near the edge of Lucifer's territory.” A note of nostalgia filtered in to her voice. “Where I dropped you off when you wandered a little too far onto the wild side.” Her voice took on a more serious tone. “Meet me there alone and I'll talk. But I gotta remain anonymous. Otherwise no info. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand." Castiel maintained a stoic face to hide his excitement at having a break in the case. "I'll see you there."

"Good. Bye Clarence." With that Meg hung up, leaving Castiel with his now racing thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to come together. And props if you saw it coming that Cas was Meg's contact with the cops. Although I suppose that chapter 8 gave that away a bit... But if you really want to know things ahead of time, leave a comment. I'll respond and tell you if you're right (but I won't spoil too much, like character deaths).


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! If you're wondering, I did end up making a fic about last week's episode. But given the number of hits it's already gotten, I think a lot of you knew that already. Anyways I will now be putting up a fic chapter everyday (alternating between this and Double Trouble), so sorry for spamming your inbox if you subscribe. Anyways, back to this fic.
> 
> No torture in this chapter, just references to it.

After taking his sweet time explaining to Dean how to properly torture someone and demonstrating on Bela, the creep finally left. Dean had heard far more than he had ever wanted to know about where to cut for a person to survive, what bone breaks caused the most pain, how to find nerves to inflict maximum pain, and the importance of a proper environment and tools. He had also acquired some fresh bruises for talking back during his "lesson." He was pretty sure some more ribs were cracked. Even breathing hurt like hell. But Bela looked absolutely terrible. Dean decided his best strategy was to keep her talking to make sure she stayed awake. 

"Man, he could talk. How does he know all this anatomy crap anyways?" Dean looked at Bela, checking for signs of life. Eventually she responded, this time without lifting her head. Her breathing was ragged and her voice was faint.

"Before you came he mentioned that he used to be a pediatrician. But I guess he decided he liked taking people apart better than putting them back together." She finally raised her head. Her eyes had a faraway, unfocused look like she was sick.

"Seriously? A freaking pediatrician? Who the hell would let their kids go near that creep?" Dean's disbelief was palpable, and Bela managed a faint smile at his indignation. 

"I know. He isn't exactly the cuddly type. I can't imagine he was very good at it." Bela still seemed to be as ok as she could be with all the cuts and bruises. If she'd been beaten like he was she probably had some rib damage, and one of her legs looked a little off where the creep had hit it telling Dean how to break a bone. They really needed to get out of there.

Dean began to poke at the metal shackles keeping his wrists on the rack. He could only just touch them with his fingers, but the locks were on the back.

"I don't think you'll get out that way." Dean's head snapped up when Bela spoke. "I tried when I first got here, and I couldn't even get to it with my nails." Dean took a look at her long nails. "I've got some experience picking locks, but these are absolutely medieval. There's no way out." She sighed a little in resignation. Her defeatist attitude made Dean look her straight in the eye with a determined look.

"I'll think of something. I promised I would get you out of here, and I always keep my promises. I'll find a way." His voice was strong, but Bela didn't look convinced. 

"It's ok Dean. Whatever happens, if you get out, just make sure that he doesn't get away with it." Despite her pain Bela's eyes focused on Dean as she spoke again, regaining their clarity for a moment. "Make sure he burns." Despite the venom of her words Bela's injuries and exhaustion were catching up with her, and her eyes began to droop after she finished speaking. Dean decided that she seemed ok enough that he could let her sleep safely. He just had to reassure her first. 

"Oh I will. If it's the last thing I do, I will." Dean made this pledge with steely resolve, then his tone softened. "Get some rest. You need it." Bela began to nod off as Dean stayed awake, plotting an escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Bela's not doing too well...


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! First of thanks to everyone who's helped get this to 10 subscribers, 21 kudos, 4 bookmarks, and 18 comments(even if half the comments are my replies to comments)! You guys are awesome.
> 
> Enjoy this torture free chapter!

Just as promised, Castiel arrived in the park at seven o'clock and began to look around for Meg. He pulled his trench coat a little tighter around his shoulders as a brisk breeze went by. It was only mid September but it was getting colder. Finally he spotted a familiar head of dark curly hair. "Hello, Meg."

"Hey Clarence. How has my favorite cop been?" Meg moved closer and closer to Castiel until he had to scoot back to regain some personal space.

"I am fine. You said you had information?" Castiel remained serious and focused as always. 

Meg sighed. "Still all business and no pleasure I see. But I do have info. But not here. Too many people could overhear." Meg then led Castiel away from the public path they were on to a quieter part of the park and they sat on a bench. She was quiet for a moment. "I don't want anything in return for this; just anonymity. If people find out that I sold one of Lucifer's top enforcers out to the cops...let’s just say it wouldn't end well for me. So who I am stays silent, right?" She looked at him for confirmation before continuing.

"Of course. And if you are having concerns about your safety I could arrange for you to be placed in a safe house." Castiel spoke with such honesty that Meg cracked a little smile.

"Ah Clarence, always the gentleman. But don't worry, I have...connections that should keep me safe and sound." Her smirk faded, replaced by a million mile stare as she turned her gaze from the detective next to her to the ground in front of her. "Just as long as this asshole gets locked up. His name is Alistair Smith. Honestly that's probably an alias; most of the Demon gang uses fake names to sound more intimidating. But anyways. He lives at 2668 33rd Street. There's always been sketchy stuff happening in his basement, but now he’s taking it to a new extreme. Yesterday I saw him load something big and lumpy into his trunk. I think it was a body."

Castiel was hesitant to interrupt, but he spoke up softly anyways. "Another body was found this morning. It was completely mutilated, just like the killer's other victims."

"Well then. I guess we have a match." Meg let out a humorless laugh. "But one more thing. He...talked to me and made some mention of getting a protégée. I don't think anything has happened yet, but you better fast before he actually gets someone to join him. One is bad enough. Two...” she shuddered, “it would suck. Disastrously. Plus, I saw him drag some guy into his basement two days ago. I don't think he could actually get him to do anything because Alistair is seriously disturbed, but still. You should get going."

"Yes. Thank you for the information. I promise I will keep your identity secret." Castiel began to get up, but he sat back down as his thoughts drifted back to the missing persons report he heard that morning. "Wait, this man you saw. Was he around six feet tall, muscular build, light brown hair?"

Meg gave him an odd look, but answered. "That's weirdly specific, but yeah. I didn't get a good look, but he seemed like a pretty big dude, and I remember seeing lightish hair. Is that important?"

Castiel had an unreadable look on his face. "I do not know. But I may have to give someone very bad news. Thank you again for the information, Meg." With that Castiel began to leave.

"Alright then. Bye Clarence." Meg stayed seated on the park bench and watched as Castiel walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's all coming together...


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first shout out to my new subscriber. Seeing interest in my fics keeps me going. 
> 
> Heads up for torture in this chapter.

Dean had stayed awake trying to think of ways to get out and watching to make sure Bela was still breathing. So far she seemed to be alive, but just barely. He needed to think of something fast. But it was hard to think with the pounding in his head that had been there for the past few days that was now accompanied by the pain in his ribs. Dean looked back to where Bela was sleeping. Her head was down but she still seemed more peaceful than before, even if she was covered in cuts and bruises. 

"So peaceful when they sleep, huh? It's too bad I really prefer screams." Dean tried his hardest not to jump as a familiar and hated creepy voice came from over his shoulder. The torturer walked into view and turned to face Dean. "You know, my offer still stands. You could join in for the good part." At this he gave a Cheshire Cat grin that would put Halloween masks to shame as he awaited Dean's response.

Despite his exhaustion and injures, Dean put on his best fake smile, which was probably less convincing now. "Yeah, still no. We've been over this; I'm not a disturbed freak like you."

The other man shrugged. "Your loss. But I thought I told you about the name calling." With that he kicked Dean in the shin on his left leg hard enough that Dean felt something crack. While he was still distracted by this new pain the psychopath started to walk over to Bela. "I do believe it's time to wake her up. And I know just the way." With that he shoved a knife into Bela's chest. As she screamed he turned back to face Dean. "Did you know you can stab someone dozens of times without killing them if you aim well? It's fascinating stuff really."

Dean grimaced and tried to look away, but the torturer noticed. In an instant he was right in Dean's face, holding a knife to his throat. "You will watch, and you will like it." He punctuated this with a slight press of the knife to Dean's throat, enough to draw some blood but not enough to do real damage. When Dean looked up again he gave a satisfied look and lowered the knife to return to Bela. "Now, let's go over all the places on face to cut. You can make a choice about the eyes depending on whether or not you want them to see it coming. But I like to leave the mouth so they can scream until the very end. We'll focus on the head now, then move on to the torso and finishing them off."

With that he went to work and Bela screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Bela...


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everybody! First things first thank you to the person who left kudos. You're awesome.
> 
> No torture this chapter.

At work the day after his meeting with Meg Castiel was conflicted. He was waiting for a warrant to allow a raid on Alistair's house. He had explained all the information he knew to Anna and Michael and asked for permission to form a team to go in. It would be a limited force, just him, Uriel, and a few other officers. When he was asked about how he had gotten the information he said it was an anonymous tip, which lead to Anna being a little skeptical. She had someone else looking up more information before she ok'd the raid. 

But that wasn't what was troubling Castiel. He was currently looking at the missing persons report he'd heard filed the day before. Dean Winchester, last seen Friday night. With the information he had gotten from Meg, Castiel was considering sending a message to the family to let them know to expect the worst. But he also wasn't allowed to talk about the case, and he wasn't sure there was a definite connection yet. He didn't want to cause undue panic or distress for the family. So here he was, divided. 

"Detective Novak." Castiel tried not to jump at the voice behind him. He turned around and stood up to face its owner, former police chief Zachariah Adler. 

"Good morning sir. What are you doing here?" Castiel tried to block his monitor with his body, but Zachariah glanced around him.

"Why are you looking at a missing persons case? If I remember right you work homicide cases." Zachariah looked at him curiously.

"I believe there is a connection between this disappearance and my current case. I am not sure yet though." Castiel continued to stand stiffly. 

"Alright then. Just remember, no word gets out. We don't want panic so the case is classified. You wouldn't want to have to talk to Naomi in Internal Affairs." Zachariah leaned in as he spoke to make sure what he said sunk in.

Castiel felt a small flutter of nervousness at the mention of the notoriously ruthless Internal Affairs officer, but didn't show it. "No sir."

"Good. Now I'm off to see Michael. Back to work!" With that Zachariah turned on his heel and headed off to Michael's office. 

Castiel returned to his seat and took one last look at Dean Winchester's file on his monitor. He looked at the picture of the green-eyed man included with the report and couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow connected to Castiel's case. Meg's description had matched after all. But until he had solid proof Zachariah was right; it was no use causing a panic. Castiel sighed, closed the window with the missing persons report, and went back to waiting for a warrant. 

__________

Sam couldn't focus on work. He had showed up for his job at the prosecutor's office at his regular time, sat at his regular desk, drank a cup of the regular terrible coffee they had. But noting felt normal. He was still worried about Dean. Not even Jess, the cute court reporter who hung around their office looking for stories, could cheer him up. With everything going on he couldn't help but sulk. He needed to do something. Sitting around doing nothing wouldn't help find Dean. Sure he and Jo had gone down to the police station to file a report and the officer they spoke to assured them the police would do their best to find Dean, but Sam still had an uneasy feeling. There was some murderer on the loose shredding people, who could blame him. 

"Sam, I know it's a Monday, but you're way too mopey. Cheer up!" Sam looked up to Jess, who was smiling and offering him a coffee and donut. "You seemed so in your own world when I first said hi to you this morning that I decided to get us breakfast. Have a donut."

"Thanks Jess. But it's Dean. He's been missing since Friday. With all this killer stuff going around I'm just a little freaked." Sam watched as her smile dropped at his words. 

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Sam!" Jess set the cup and food bag on his desk and hugged him. "Here, I know just the thing to distract you for a bit." She let go of him and moved over to his computer. "I know this hilarious webcomic. It's pure gold. Let me just bring it up for you... Oh no." Jess's shoulders slumped as she stared at the screen.

"What? What is it?" Sam's panic only increased as Jess moved aside to reveal the news site that was Sam's home page. It showed that the police had found another body the previous morning. "Crap." Sam put a hand over his face and felt his worry return full force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well the police are working the case. Do you think they'll reach Dean and Bela in time?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I gotta say thank you to everyone who's helped this fic reach 4 bookmarks, 11 subscribers, 23 kudos, over 500 hits, and 20 comments! Admittedly it's more like 10 comments if you don't count my responses, but still. You guys are awesome and your interest in this fic makes my day! 
> 
> Heed the story warnings this chapter.

Dean woke up with a start, not entirely sure if he'd passed out or fallen asleep. Either way he didn't have any fresh aches, so it must have happened after the creep left them for the night. The memories from before began to come back. Their captor had started on Bela's face, narrating all the while, then... Oh crap. He'd started to carve up her torso. Bela's screams echoed in the back of Dean's head, mixing with the throbbing from the blows. The screams had first been loud and pain filled and then Bela had gotten too quiet as their captor cut up her chest. Suddenly very alarmed, Dean snapped his head up, wincing at the moment of painful dizziness it caused, and focused on the rack across from him. The woman strapped to it didn't seem to be moving at all. Not a good sign.

"Bela?" He started with a whisper, unsure if she was just sleeping. No response. He spoke up, this time at a normal talking voice. "Bela, you alright over there?" No movement, no loud breaths, no now familiar British accent. Dean grew more worried. "Bela!" He shouted her name sharply, but her head remained against her blood stained chest. "BELA!" Dean screamed at her and thrashed on his rack to make more noise, but Bela didn't move. Dean got the sinking feeling that she never would again. 

"No. No this can't be happening. Wake up Bela. C'mon, I'll get us out of here. Just one more day. Stay with me, please!" Dean's voice cracked from emotion but there was still no response. Dean screamed in self-directed rage. _This was all my fault! If I had only distracted him more, got him to hit me more, maybe he would have left her alone long enough for her to survive. I should have kept her talking, kept her alert. Maybe if I'd agreed to get off the rack I could have gone easy on her to let her live or just knocked him out so we could escape. Maybe...maybe... Dammit! I should have done **something!** She's dead, and it's all my fault._ Dean broke out of his internal monologue to scream once more, and didn't even notice the sound of the door opening behind him. 

"Oh, stop making such a fuss. I take it the bitch has finally bitten it?" The killer walked in with a cavalier look and tone that only pissed Dean off more. "So. Last chance. Join me or you're next."

Despite Dean's earlier thoughts, he knew Bela would above never wanted him to inflict what she went through on anyone. The thought that she was gone and the monster in front of him caused it made anger rise up in Dean's chest. The rage in Dean's system overrode his pain, exhaustion, and fear and he began to yell at his captor. "Why the **hell** would you think I would join you? You fucking killed Bela! You sick freak! I will never join you and neither will anyone else! You're seriously disturbed! You're a monster! You're-"

Dean's words were cut off as he felt a knife in his side. He began to gasp in pain as his tormentor spoke, wiggling the knife a little. "Now now. I've told you about name calling, and you've seen what happens to those who stay on the rack." He grabbed Dean's chin and forced him to look at Bela's corpse. "But since you refuse to join me, I guess it's time I made you my masterpiece." With that he removed the knife from Dean's side, took a step back, and began to spin the knife in his fingers while he looked Dean over. "Taking out those pretty green eyes will be fun, but I suppose as a matter of professionalism I must start on the extremities.” He gave another Cheshire cat grin. “Don't forget to scream!" With that last over cheerful statement, he began to slice at Dean's left arm, careful not to sever anything major but still causing plenty of pain.

Dean screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bela's dead. Will Cas make it to Dean in time?


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day to those who celebrate it! Thank you to everyone who's reading this today instead of something more holiday appropriate. And also thank you to my commenter, the person who bookmarked, and my new subscriber! You can all me my valentine if you don't have one.
> 
> Also don't worry, no torture this chapter.

Despite the fact that he was supposed to be working, Sam was still worrying about Dean. He had put in some work on the cases he was assigned, but he'd also been making calls just in case anyone had seen Dean. He'd tried Dean's apartment and cell phone again, but no response. Even though he'd already tried asking them before, he called up some of Dean's friends again. But Charlie, Benny, and Garth hadn't heard anything from Dean and neither had anyone else for few days. They were just as concerned as Sam was. Dean also hadn't been seen at either the Roadhouse or at Bobby's shop. Sam decided that on his lunch break he'd swing by Dean's apartment one last time, just to make sure he wasn't there ignoring his phone or something. It was unlikely that no one would have heard from him, but Sam didn’t want to seriously consider other possibilities yet. He looked at his watch; it was close enough that he decided to head out. He grabbed his car keys and walked out.

As he drove over to Dean's place he couldn't keep his mind from wandering. Ever since he found out about the new body they found his thoughts had gone to increasingly pessimistic places. It didn't help that Jess had to leave to go to the courthouse shortly after they saw the news. Sam sighed. It was great that she was trying to cheer him up, but he knew the facts. He worked for the District Attorney after all. So Sam knew that the longer it took to find someone who was missing the less likely it was that they'd find that person alive, and it had already been nearly two and a half days since Dean was last seen. 

Sam pulled up outside Dean's apartment along the curb. He glanced into the alley next to the building and saw that the Impala was still there. He had a momentary flare of hope that that meant Dean was home, but then he remembered that it had been there last time too and Dean hadn't been home. He started to walk over to the car to see if it had been driven recently. 

He had just entered the alley when he saw something silver out of the corner of his eye. It was half under the dumpster, which was probably how he hadn't noticed it before. He bent down to get a better look and was surprised to see Dean's keys. Sam felt a fresh flash of panic travel through him. Dean never went anywhere without his keys. And there was no way he'd leave the keys to his baby where someone else could get them. That car had been his pride and joy ever since their dad gave it to him. Something must have happened to him, must have made him drop his keys. 

Sam didn't even bother going into the apartment to check it. Now even more freaked out than before, he headed off to lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I gotta say I was pretty surprised by the lack of reaction to Bela's death. Did you guys see that coming or did you just not comment about it? Some of you seemed pretty attached to her in earlier comments.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the two people who commented, 2 people that left kudos, and my two new subscribers! You guys are awesome. 
> 
> No torture this time, just the aftermath of it in the second half.

Castiel was still sitting at his desk, looking through the files on the four victims so far. He still couldn't see a connection, besides the fact that they were all women and all of the bodies were so mutilated that they couldn't be identified. Four Jane Does, all looking like they'd been cut, beaten, and restrained for days. It was gruesome. Castiel's thoughts wandered back to Meg, how she could be living right next to this monster. Would she be ok? She had said she had connections. But still, the sooner this killer was caught the better. Bodies had been showing up for two weeks now, one every few days. Who knew when another would appear?

Castiel was drawn out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. He looked up to see Anna approaching. 

"Good news detective. Your warrant has been approved. You can pick a small team to go in. You'll head out tomorrow morning." Anna paused when she arrived at his at his desk. "Be careful out there. This place you’re going to is right in the heart of the Demons' territory, and Lucifer isn't exactly a fan of the police going into his neighborhood. You'll have to be discreet. Brief Uriel when he gets back from his lunch break and pick your team. I'm letting you take the lead on this because you got the tip."

"Thank you. And don’t worry, we will be careful. I will start forming a team now." Castiel turned back to his computer, now looking through their roster to see who he could take.

"Good. We're counting on you." With that Anna turned and left as Castiel continued to scroll though names.

__________

Dean woke up in pain. He looked at his arms and saw them covered in bloody gauze. He could still feel every cut and stab. If this went the same way as Bela his legs were next, then his face, then...he looked across at Bela with the grim realization that that would be him in a few days. He suddenly understood her defeatist attitude. "I'm sorry." He began to tear up a little. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you. I told you I'd get us out and even if you never completely believed me, you never shot me down harshly. You didn't deserve this." A tear slid down his bruised cheek as thought back to the last time they'd talked. She'd been so weak.

But then he remembered the last thing she'd said to him. The last thing she'd ever say besides inarticulate screams of pain. Her voice echoed in his head. _Make sure he burns._ Even if that hadn't been his biggest concern at the time, Dean had promised her he would. Little did he know then that that would be her dying wish. Dean swore to himself that if he ever got out, he would keep his promise to Bela. He'd do it for her, and for everyone else this creep had killed. "Don't worry," he whispered even though he knew no one was listening. "Don't worry Bela. He won't get away with this; I'll make him pay."

Despite his strong words Dean slipped back into unconsciousness unsure if he'd ever make it out of there alive, let alone in good enough shape to ensure that there was justice for Bela.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few of you have been saying Cas should hurry up. He's got the ok now, so we'll see if he gets to Dean in time.
> 
> Also if any of you were curious, Bela's last words were unintentional. It just kinda happened while I was writing and I decided I should take advantage of it.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I can't believe this has gotten to 15 subscribers, 27 kudos, 5 bookmarks, and 30 comments! I'm so glad you guys like this so much! Thank you to all my awesome readers!
> 
> No torture this time, don't worry!

Castiel stood in a conference room looking at the people he'd be taking with him. It was a small team in order to be discreet, but he'd picked his officers carefully. He and Uriel would be heading the team. Their back up was Rachel Garrison, Samandriel Alfred, Inias Johnson, and Hester Pine. Castiel had worked with most of them before and knew they could be trusted with this mission. The only one he hadn't worked with much before was Samandriel, who was a rookie but Castiel still found him trustworthy.

"Thank you for joining me today. Because this is an important case, I have to remind you that anything we discuss here before we go on the mission is confidential," Castiel said as he looked across the room. He received nods and mumbled promises of secrecy. Ready to begin, Castiel flicked off the lights turned on the projector for the first slide to pop up. It had a mug shot of a man on it. "This man is our suspect. His name is Alistair Smith. He has been brought in before on assault charges but nothing has been proven because no witnesses were willing to come forward. This may be because he has known connections to Lucifer's gang, the Demons." Castiel hit a button and the next slide popped up, this time a map. "This is a map of where we are going tomorrow. We will head in here," Castiel pointed to the main street with his finger, "and then go into the suspect's house here, which we believe he is operating out of." He pointed to a house in the middle of the street. "Once inside, we'll have to be quick. Any questions so far?"

Samandriel spoke up, sounding slightly alarmed. "But that's right in the heart of the Demons' territory. That's dangerous. Shouldn't we have more people to watch our backs?"

Before Castiel could respond Uriel began to talk from his place next to the screen opposite Castiel. "Lucifer will not be bothering us. I have a... feeling that he wants this killer gone as much as we do. Trust me when I say that we will not encounter any resistance tomorrow."

Castiel was confused by his partner's words but didn't respond. He moved on to the next slide, which had an exterior shot of Alastair's house and a floor plan. "This is the house. As far as we know there are two floors. Samandriel, you will stay outside in the van and run communications." Castiel looked at the young cop, who nodded at him. "Rachel, you will stay at the door and make sure no one tries to interrupt us or come after us, and also make sure the killer does not escape." She seemed a little annoyed at getting such an easy job, but nodded for him to continue. "Hester, Inias, you two will check the top floor. Uriel and I will cover the ground floor. Understood?" When his team gave him confirmation he released a loud breath and finished his presentation. "We will meet here tomorrow at 0700 hours and head in. I know this is a dangerous area and that if this is our killer, it could be gruesome inside the house. If anyone has issues, speak up now." Castiel waited and looked around the room for a moment but was met with silence and determined stares. "Good. Make sure you show up ready tomorrow. Any mistake could end very badly." With one last serious look around the room, Castiel turned off the projector and turned the lights back on.

Everyone left the room and prepared to leave for the day because it was already evening and they had an early morning the next day. Castiel grabbed his laptop from where it had been connected to the projector and left the room. On his way out his mind began to wander. There were so many variables, so many things to go wrong. _I am not sure what frightens me more, finding the killer or not finding him. Will there be more bodies there? Will there be anyone still alive?_ As terrible as it would be to be at the mercy of the killer, Castiel felt a spark of hope inside him at the possibility of someone there still being alive. He would feel so much better if he was able to return someone to their families instead of just bringing in another body bag. Caught up in his own thoughts, Castiel nearly ran into someone.

"Sorry," Castiel said, looking up to see who he'd almost hit. "Oh, Uriel, you haven’t left yet?" Before his friend could respond Castiel remembered his enigmatic comments during the presentation and asked Uriel another question. "How are you so sure about everything you said about Lucifer and the Demons? They usually don't hesitate to attack any police offers they see."

Uriel appeared to be thinking for a moment before he replied. "You have your sources, I have mine. Trust me on this." Uriel stared at Castiel for a moment, daring him to speak up, but when Castiel remained quiet he resumed talking. "Now, I have things I must get to before tomorrow. Goodbye Castiel." With that Uriel turned around and walked away, leaving Castiel more confused than before but unwilling to question his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who remembers season 4?


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first thank you to my awesome commenter! You're a repeat commenter so you get extra bonus points.
> 
> Warning for torture in the first half of the chapter.

"Wakey wakey." Dean woke out of his dreamless sleep at a familiar creepy voice and the pain of a finger digging in to one of the cuts on this arms. "Good, you're up. Now let's have a chat, shall we?" The killer walked away from Dean to the other rack, which still held Bela's mutilated corpse. "This one here is gone, and I think it's time for some new meat. Now that you've gotten a taste of what I can give out, I'll make my offer again. I'll stop torturing you if you agree to take up the knife against whoever I bring in next."

Every slight movement brought him pain, but Dean still tried to straighten up on the rack before he answered. He winced slightly at all the cuts and bruises. "Still no," he rasped out, beginning to feel anew the dehydration and hunger that plagued him. 

"Are you sure? I'll treat your wounds and let you move around the house. You'll be free to move again, and you'll get to get food and water again. You'll even be able to use a regular bathroom again instead of soiling yourself on the rack like you've had too." Dean shifted uncomfortably at the mess he knew he was. He stank, he was covered in his own blood and waste down below, and he probably looked like hell from the lack of food, water, and good sleep. Plus, he was in a lot of pain and stopping it would be nice. But one look at the sick smile on his captor's face cemented his resolve. That was the monster that killed Bela and several other people. Dean wouldn't let himself sink it that level.

His anger brought strength to his words as he spoke again. "It's a no, you creep. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I won't join you." Dean spoke with strength, but it was short lived as the killer once again approached him with a knife.

"Tsk tsk. I've told you about name calling." Dean could hear the annoyance in the other man’s voice before he felt the knife trace up the side of his thigh just enough to cut through his pants and skin and draw blood. "Regardless of what you say I will go out tomorrow and get someone new. And for your insolence I may just have to work a little quicker on you. But don't worry, you'll still be my masterpiece and it'll still hurt just as much. Scream nice and loud now. You know I love that pretty pain." The knife slid a little deeper into Dean's thigh as he began to scream again. 

__________

Sam went to the Roadhouse after work and sat in one of the back booths, sulking. He had Dean's keys in his jacket pocket and every time he bumped them or they jingled he only got more worried. He sipped his beer and looked up when Jo walked over with his salad. 

"Here you go." She set the food down in front of him and slid into the booth across from him. "Have you heard anything yet?"

She didn't even need to clarify what she was talking about, they both knew. He looked up from his salad, his expression still glum. "No news yet. But I did find these in the alley by Dean's apartment when I went by on my lunch break." Sam pulled out Dean's keys and slid them across the table. 

Jo picked up the keys and took a moment to figure out what they were before it clicked and she looked up at Sam with a slightly shocked expression. "Are these the Impala keys? Dean would never lose them... They were in the alley?" She looked at Sam to see if she'd heard right.

"Right next to the dumpster. Something must have happened to him." Sam looked back down at his salad, all his worry bubbling up again. "I just don't know what to do, Jo. I'm freaked out."

Jo reached across the table and put a hand on his arm. "Hey, don't give up yet. There's still a chance we could find him."

Sam let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Yeah, I know the stats. At this rate we'd be more likely to find a body." Sam didn't look up because he knew he would only see pity on his friend's face. "I just feel so helpless. I know that nothing I could do can help bring Dean back, but I can't stop worrying." He let out a frustrated huff and looked up as Jo started to rub his arm again.

"Hey, it's ok to be worried. You and Dean are really close and you're just concerned. If you ever want to talk, let me know, ok?" When Sam gave a tiny nod she started to slide out of the booth. "Alright, I gotta get back to work before my mom gets annoyed, but take care of yourself ok?"

Sam mumbled a response and went back to his salad as Jo walked away. When she was gone he slipped the Impala keys off the table and back into his pocket, a reminder of his fears.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! Thank you to the person who bookmarked and the person who left kudos, as well as the sweet anon who left a message at my tumblr. If this is the fic you were asking about, I can't put it all up yet but I can promise to update as regularly as I can. Which should be every other day unless something comes up.

Dean awoke to the flat side of a knife sliding along his cheeks, carefully not cutting in. "You know," the now familiar but still despised voice said, "I think I may leave your face as is. Just looking over at the last one over there makes you show so much pain I don't think I'd want to disrupt it." The blade then left Dean's face as the killer once again stepped back, twirling his knife and looking over Dean for the next place to cut.

Despite the sharp pain in his arms and legs and the dull throb that continued in his head, Dean mustered up enough strength for a little bit of defiance. "Bela. She had a name, and it was Bela." Dean glared at his captor even though he knew it wouldn't be all that impressive anymore. "And I promised her I'd make you pay for her and the others."

The torturer only chucked. "Oh, I'm shaking in my shoes. I'm sure you can tell her all about your bravery and how you tried to make me show some respect." His words were dripping with sarcasm, then turned serious. "But you can tell her in person, you'll be joining her soon enough." With that he stopped twirling the blade and stabbed it into Dean's abdomen. "I don't think you'll even make it to the end of today." He sliced his blade up and went to work.

__________

At precisely 7 o'clock Castiel and his team were assembled at the station. He briefly went over everyone's jobs again before they headed out to the parking lot. First they stopped and got the supplies they needed. Mainly guns and bulletproof vests, but not full swat gear. They needed to be in and out fast, and a swat team would draw far too much attention. On a whim that could be considered either a gut instinct or moment of optimism, Castiel grabbed a first aid kit as he was leaving the room. Uriel noticed. 

"What could that be for? Do you expect us to actually let ourselves get hurt?" Uriel smirked at what he saw as a lack of confidence in their force.

"No, I trust my team. I would not have picked them otherwise. Even against such a dangerous enemy, I trust them. I just have a feeling we made need this for...someone else." Castiel shrugged a bit at his nonanswer. He trusted his team to hold their own, but he still felt like he'd need the first aid kit. 

"Well, then allow me to be more practical." Uriel disappeared back into the supply room and reappeared with a body bag. "If our killer still has anyone, I doubt that they would be in any shape to survive."

"I prefer to be more optimistic I suppose." Castiel glanced back at Uriel one more time before they both picked up their pace to catch up to the rest of the team at the vans, Castiel still clutching the first aid kit and Uriel still carrying the folded up body bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's happening guys. Cas is coming for Dean! Well, he doesn't know for sure that Dean's there, but still.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you to the two people that commented, my 4 new subscribers, and the 4 people who left kudos! There was a ton of new interest in this after last chapter wow. How are all of you finding this?
> 
> Anyways, heads up for torture in the first half of this chapter.

Dean gasped out a breath when the killer finally paused for a moment. His throat was sore from screaming, he hadn't eaten in days or drank anything in almost that long, his head had quieted down to a dull constant pain, and everything hurt. He could still feel the sting of all the cuts running up and down his arms and legs and now the slices and stabs in his chest. If it wasn't for the gauze he was pretty sure he would have bled out by now. Either way he didn't think he'd make it to the end of the day. 

"Oh you look so droopy. Where's the fight?" The killer smiled his twisted grin at Dean for a moment before seeming to remember something. "Oh! I should get you water. I might be able to drag this out a little longer yet." With that he left Dean alone only to return a moment later with a cup of water. "Now be a good boy and drink up. You're only hurting yourself by denying it." 

For a moment Dean considered turning his head away and refusing the water just to spite his captor, but before he could the other man grabbed his chin and poured the water into his mouth, forcing Dean to swallow. 

"Good. Now wait here while I put this cup back." The killer chucked a little at his joke, knowing the other man could not move. He walked away with the cup, leaving Dean temporarily alone with his pain before returning, knife in hand. "You really should have just gotten off the rack when you had the chance. Now, shall we resume?" He twirled the knife in his hand one last time before stabbing it into Dean's chest hard enough to make him bend over on the rack a little, and then the torturer resumed his cutting.

__________

Castiel and his team pulled up outside the house Meg had told him about and prepared to go in. Castiel spoke a few words to his team outside of the van with communications before they went in. "Now remember, we do this quickly and carefully. We search the entire house to find evidence and if you see Alistair, arrest him and be careful if you engage him. He is incredibly dangerous and bringing him in is top priority. Samandriel, you stay in the first van and maintain communications. Hester and Inias, search the top floor. Uriel and I will take the ground floor. Rachel, watch the door so he can’t escape. Are we good?" He received nods all around and gave his team one last look. "Alright then. Let's move out." They quickly headed to the house and burst through the door, guns at the ready. Inias and Hester quickly went up the staircase near the door as Castiel and Uriel began to search the bottom floor. 

They had been searching for a few minutes, going from room to room without finding anything. The house seemed too quiet, empty almost. There was no trace of the killer or even a place where he'd killed the victims. Then Castiel heard Hester's voice in his earpiece. "We've got something up here. We found some personal items that don't look like they belong to our suspect. There's IDs from six people. These could be our victims.”

Samandriel, who was still in the van, spoke up next. "We can cross reference them with missing persons database back at the station if you give me names. But we’ve only found four bodies. Do you think there's a chance the other two people are at the premise still?"

Castiel considered this for a moment, feeling a brief flare of hope. "Keep searching. Uriel and I have almost finished this floor. Bring in what you find as evidence." Castiel was about to leave the room he was in, some sort of den, when he saw what looked like a small amount of blood smeared on the ground leading under a rug. He flipped it back to reveal a trapdoor. He looked over at Uriel. "I will see what's here, you search the rest of the floor then come down if I’m not out yet." He switched on his mic to talk to the rest of the team. "I found something, I may need backup. First priority is the evidence and finding the killer, so keep searching and gathering evidence." He grabbed the trapdoor, opened it up, and went down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, please note I have no idea what police procedure actually is in these situations. I've watched Psych (and you should too if you haven't), but that's about it.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I said lately that you guys are awesome? Because you are. Thank you to everyone who's gotten this to 19 subscribers, 33 kudos, 6 bookmarks, and 40 comments! Admittedly it's 20 comments if you don't count my replies, but still awesome. 
> 
> Cas is so close guys. Are you ready? Heads up for violence in this chapter.

Moments earlier, Alistair had given Dean an appraising look. "You know, I think I'll get one of my special knives to finish you off. I'll be back." He walked out of Dean's sight and Dean thought he heard a door, but couldn't think straight because of the pain. He closed his eyes, knowing even if he passed out Alistair would wake him up for the kill.

A moment later he heard footsteps and opened his eyes. "Hello?" a rough voice called out cautiously into the room and Dean opened his eyes. He heard a muttered curse and hurried footsteps over to the racks. He saw an unfamiliar man approach Bela and carefully put a finger on her neck to feel for a pulse. "Dammit." He then turned around and let out another shocked sound when he saw Dean, then hurried over. He lifted Dean's head to look him in the eye before asking his next question. "What's your name?" His relief at finding someone alive was palpable.

Dean drew a pained breath, his voice coming out rough and weak. "Dean." He coughed, pain racing through him at the movement. "Dean Winchester."

Castiel looked at him and carefully looked over Dean's injuries before returning his eyes to Dean's face. "Ok Dean, we are going to get you out of here. My name is Castiel Novak, and I work with the police department. I am here to help." He moved out of Dean's line of sight to inspect the locks on the back of the rack. After a moment he went back to in front of Dean. "Where is the key for the locks? Do you know?"

But before Dean could respond a voice rang out from across the dungeon. "Hey! What are you doing with my masterpiece? I'm not done yet!" Castiel looked up from Dean to see an enraged man with a knife approaching. Castiel recognized the man from the mug shot, Alistair.

"I am saving him. And you are going to pay for what you have done." At his words Alistair snarled and charged at him with the knife. Castiel quickly moved away from Dean so he wouldn't get hurt further in the fight.

Alistair struck first, swinging this knife in a wide arc towards Castiel. Glad for all his training, Castiel managed to duck and then quickly knocked the knife out of Alistair's hand with a hard hit to his wrist. While he was close he managed a blow to Alistair's side that made him double over. Castiel saw a key on a chain around the killer's neck and tried to grab it but his hand was knocked aside. He felt the other man's fist connect with his cheek but didn't let it slow him down. He struck back with an uppercut to the underside of Alistair's jaw and quickly snatched the key while his opponent was reeling back, pulling it and breaking the cord around Alistair's neck. He began to turn back towards the racks.

Castiel glanced up when he heard footsteps and was relieved to see Uriel. "Uriel! I found Alistair! There is one victim still alive, I will get him while you get Alistair!" Castiel felt a blow to his stomach but made sure not to drop the key. While Uriel ran up and tackled Alistair from behind, Castiel ran back to Dean.

Castiel ran over to face Dean and saw that he had once again fallen unconscious. He grabbed Dean's shoulder, one of the only uninjured areas he saw, and gripped it tightly to wake him up. When glassy green eyes met his he quickly spoke. "I am going to unlock the shackles now, lean against the rack so you do not fall forward and further injure yourself." With that Castiel moved behind Dean and quickly undid the locks before moving in front of Dean to catch and pick up his slumping form. As he held Dean to his chest he heard unintelligible mumbling from the man in his arms. "What was that?"

Dean's voice was weak, but Castiel heard him as he listened carefully over the sounds of Uriel getting the upper hand over Alistair and slamming him on the ground to cuff him. "Bela." Dean feebly muttered and pointed to the corpse of the woman on the other rack. "Get Bela." Castiel glanced over at the body and resolved to have someone get the other body.

"We will get her, do not worry." Castiel was more concerned with the man he carried though and carefully hurried up the stairs, though the trapdoor, and into the main house. He passed a stunned looking Rachel, who was still at the door. "There in another body in the basement. Uriel is down there and has apprehended the suspect. Get the body bag and get the last victim out so she can have a proper funeral. I need to get this man to a hospital immediately."

Rachel looked stunned. "What about paramedics?"

Castiel cut her off impatiently. "They will not get here in time. Now move!" They both ran out to the vans, Castiel to the van where Samandriel had been working communication and where he left the first aid kit at the start of the mission. Rachel ran to the other van with restraints in the back for suspects. She got Inias from the front and grabbed the body bag and they ran back into the house to help Uriel and get the last body. 

Castiel climbed into the back of the other van, startling Samandriel. He carefully laid the unconscious man on the floor, the only open space, before he grabbed the first aid kit. "Tell Hester to head to the closest hospital immediately. This man needs medical attention." Samandriel ran to the opening in the front to tell Hester and the van began to move. Castiel was grateful for his first aid training as he used what he could from the first aid kit to stop the bleeding and close the worst of the cuts. Samandriel called ahead to the hospital to arrange for their arrival. When they finally arrived and the ER doctors took Dean away, Castiel allowed himself to slump against the side of the van and stare at the bloody patch on the floor. "It is out of our hands now." He sighed, relieved that they had managed to get someone out alive. "Dean Winchester has been saved."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean's alive! Or at the very least he's away from Alistair but still in critical condition. I realize this was the moment you were all waiting for (and hopefully I didn't stress you out too much), but there is more story still so I hope you keep reading.
> 
> By the way it's a headcannon of mine that Cas had to fight Alistair to get Dean out of Hell. And since we know very little about Dean's rescue from Hell, there's no way of knowing if it's true. They just seemed like they knew (and hated) each other when they met on Earth in season 4. Whether it's true of the show or not I decided to incorporate it into my story.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you to my two commenters and the person who left kudos. You guys are awesome. 
> 
> No torture this chapter (or in any going forward really) but mentions of injuries and treatment of them. Please note that I'm not a doctor and so while I aim for accuracy it might not be completely realistic.

After everything calmed down Castiel took a moment to recover from the adrenaline high and subsequent crash and reluctantly got checked out in the hospital. Castiel didn't think it was necessary, but the Hester and Samandriel pointed out that he _had_ been in a fight with a sadistic murderer and that Uriel was probably getting checked out as well, he caved and let the doctors look at him. When they decided that he didn't have any serious injuries, just a few bruises, and could return to work, he left the room with a bit of an _I told you so_ echoing inside his head. Before he went back to the station he had one last stop. 

When they arrived, Dean had been in critical condition and had gotten rushed away in a swarm of doctors shouting medical jargon and grabbing necessary supplies. Dean had been in pretty bad shape. Blood loss, dehydration, malnutrition, some cracked or fractured bones including ribs, a concussion, some internal and external bruising from hits, and of course the numerous cuts and stabs on his arms, legs, and torso, some of which were infected. He had been in surgery for a while to reset the bones and clean and sew up the knife wounds. When Castiel walked in Dean was cleaned up but unconscious, covered in bandages and casts, and hooked up to a medley of machines, IVs, and other tubes and wires. Castiel was just glad to see that he'd survived and was about to leave the room when he heard a low groan behind him. 

Castiel turned around to see that Dean had woken up and was attempting to speak. Even though he had been almost out the door, Castiel turned around and walked to Dean's bedside. 

Dean's eyes were noticeably less hazy now that he was being treated, but his voice was still weak. "Hello?” He looked around in confusion. “Where am I?" Then he began to cough. Castiel wondered if he should call a doctor but instead settled for adjusting Dean’s bed into a more upright position so he could breathe easier.

"Hello, Dean. Do not be afraid. You are safe now. You were captured, but you are now in a hospital, recovering." Castiel was surprised Dean had woken up so soon considering the shape he had been in.

Dean looked at him as if Castiel seemed familiar but he couldn't quite place who he was. "Who are you?"

Castiel looked at Dean for a moment before answering. "Castiel. I am the one who saved you. How are you doing?"

"Better now. Thanks for that." Dean managed a small smile as he looked at Castiel, then he looked away as a look akin to panic flashed on his face. "Oh crap, Sam. He's probably scared to death."

Castiel tilted his head in confusion. "Sam?"

Dean looked back at Castiel. "My little brother. Could you let him know I'm ok?" Dean cast a glance at his bandage and cast covered body and all the machines and IVs connected to it. "Relatively speaking."

Castiel thought back to the tall long haired man who filed the missing persons report. "I am sure that could be arranged. Now you should rest and recover." Castiel looked down at Dean, who was already falling asleep as he succumbed to the effects of the medications the doctors gave him.

"Alright, thanks." Dean yawned and closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep. Castiel smiled and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean's alive! For now.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy March everybody! Thanks to the 3 people who left comments and the 2 people who left kudos. You guys are awesome. And sorry to anyone I freaked out with the end note on the last chapter. 
> 
> Don't worry, no warnings for this chapter.

Samandriel and Hester had already retuned to the station by the time Castiel left the hospital. Uriel, Inias, and Rachel had gone straight from the scene to the station to put Alistair in a holding cell and put the other body in the morgue. When Castiel arrived he was surprised to find nearly everyone waiting for him. News had evidently spread and even Michael and Anna were waiting and joined the cheering when he walked in. Admittedly Michael true to form was more collected and less excited than the others, but he still seemed glad that the killer had been caught. As Castiel walked though he heard various people shouting congratulations for catching the killer and saving the last victim. When Castiel finally reached where Michael and Anna were standing he was surprised when Michael wrapped an arm around his shoulders and shouted "Ladies and gentleman, our own Castiel Novak, the killer catcher!" causing everyone to cheer again. While everyone was still cheering he leaned closer to Castiel and spoke more quietly. "Join me in my office to discuss the case?" It was spoken like a question, but Castiel knew it was an order and followed when Michael let go of him. When they arrived in the office Castiel saw that Anna and Uriel were there as well. At Michael's instruction he closed the doors.

"So." Michael settled himself behind the desk and looked the three detectives in front of him. "First of all, congratulations on the successful case. I'm sure the media will be all over this, so prepare for a press conference this afternoon. But now we need to think about going forward. We've caught the killer but if another one of Lucifer's goons gets away it will reflect poorly on both the department and the DA's office. We have to hold up our end and supply all the necessary evidence. Your team did that well, and I already have the others from your team looking through the IDs found at the suspect's house to compare them to currently filed missing persons reports and the bodies found so far. Matches there should help implicate Alistair, especially with the other pictures and evidence taken at the house. Uriel, good job remembering to take pictures of the scene with your team before you left."

Uriel nodded. "Thank you sir."

Castiel felt momentarily nervous. _How did I forget to take pictures? Stupid. Well I suppose I was a bit distracted by the serial killer attacking me and by the dying victim still on the rack, bleeding out..._ Castiel was called out of his rumination by his boss's voice and immediately stood at attention facing Michael. 

"Castiel, I heard you went to visit the surviving victim before you came back here. How was he doing?" Michael seemed genuinely interested and concerned, but Castiel knew the police chief was probably already planning something. He could practically see the gears going behind his cold eyes.

"Dean Winchester was in critical condition when we found him. He will be in the hospital for a while longer, but he should make a full recovery, besides the scarring and probable mental trauma." Castiel reported all of this calmly despite the mix of emotions inside of him. He was relieved that someone had survived, disturbed and angered that someone would even do that kind of damage to another person in the first place, and still a little sad about the four, no five counting the woman they had found today, people who had died before they could stop the killer. But for now he had to keep that controlled so he could pay attention for this meeting. "Eventually, he will be ok again."

Michael seem to perk up slightly at that. "Good. As I'm sure you know, part of the reason that Alistair had gotten off on previous charges was because no witnesses were willing to come forward. I've talked with the prosecutor's office, and we've decided that if we can get the living victim to testify, we should be able to lock this killer away for good. To protect him while he’s in the hospital I've contacted the hospital security team. They'll monitor visitors and check his room periodically. We can't risk someone else finishing what Alistair started. But we still need to get him to agree to testify. Do you think you can do that Castiel?"

Castiel was slightly surprised by the request. He knew it was extremely hard for people to face those that hurt them, especially in cases of such severity like this one. Michael asking so cavalierly threw him off for a moment. He understood the importance though, so reluctantly he spoke up. "I will do my best, sir."

Michael gave a slight nod. "Good. That's all for now. You're dismissed." Michael turned away from them and back to his work, signaling for them to go. Uriel and Anna left but Castiel hesitated.

"Sir?" He asked, a slightly nervous look on his face. 

Michael looked up. "What is it?"

Castiel spoke up. "When I was speaking with Dean he inquired about his family. Can I notify them that he is alive?"

Michael thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't see why not. You can do that and then join the rest of your team looking through the missing persons for matches."

Castiel nodded. "Thank you sir." With that Michael turned back to his computer and Castiel went to his desk to make a call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys think Dean should have to face Alistair again? Something could go wrong.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Thank you to the person who bookmarked and the 2 people who commented. There's now a super awesome group of you who comment frequently and it makes me so happy!

Sam was still mopey. He'd gone into work again and had spent most of the morning going through his usual tasks in a daze. Jess had been hanging around trying to cheer him up but since he found the keys he'd been nearly hopeless. She was still there when his phone rang. He picked it up and gestured for her to be quiet. "Hello?"

The voice on the other end was rough, more than just the distortion the phone line could add. "Sam Winchester? This is Detective Castiel Novak with the police department. I have news on your brother."

Sam's heart sank. If the police department was calling it could be very bad. A little part of his head pointed out that it could be good, but he quieted that part so he wouldn't be disappointed if it really was the worst. "Well? What happened?"

There was a moment of hesitation on the other end. "We found him." There was another pause during which Sam braced himself for the worst. Jess was leaning in attempting to eavesdrop and rubbed his arm to console him when she saw him tense up. The voice on the other end continued. "He was abducted by the serial killer and was in critical condition." Sam sank a little more. "However, we managed to get to him in time and he's recovering at Mercy Hospital."

Sam nearly jumped out of his chair and Jess gave him a celebratory hug. "Thank you so much! Oh god it's a relief to know he's not dead...Wait, Castiel right?" Sam waited for the man on the other end to respond.

"Yes." This man was not one to waste words, Sam decided.

"Can I go see him?" Sam waited to be shut down, crossing his fingers.

Another hesitation from the other side. "He was in critical condition and on many medications, so he could be asleep which would mean it would be best to leave him alone. However, he did ask about you when he was awake, so he may be waiting for you. Just be careful and do not disturb him too much."

Sam sighed in relief, already grabbing his car keys. "Thank you. I'll go see him now. Bye."

There was a goodbye from the other end of the line before Sam put it down and turned to Jess. "Dean's alive." He knew she had heard when she was eavesdropping but repeating it helped it sink in for him. "I should call everyone. Ellen, Jo, Bobby, Charlie, Benny, Garth... but I gotta see him first." Sam was so excited and relived and so many overwhelming emotions all at once. _Dean's alive...injured, but alive. Oh my god. I don't believe it. Is this even real? Wait, did that cop say the serial killer got him? Like **the** serial killer? Oh no what could have happened? He's alive but is he **ok?** Will I be able to recognize him? Will he be too cut up? Will he ever be the same? Will he act differently? _ His thoughts began to race until Jess snapped in front of his face.

She looked at him for a moment before she spoke up. "Ok, you're clearly too overwhelmed by all of this to drive. Gimme your keys. I'll drive us over there." For a moment Sam just stared at her. She was standing there with one hand on her hip and the other outstretched for his keys. He hesitated, causing her to shake her outstretched hand at him. "Keys." She said it with a little more force and he handed them over. "Good. Now I'll drive and you give me directions. You have the address?" 

He sat back down at his computer and googled the address then printed directions. "Yeah, got it." He turned around to see her already grabbing her coat to go. 

"Good. We'll head out now, I'm sure the boss'll understand." Sam felt a moment of appreciation for the court reporter before he followed her out and his thoughts turned back to relief about Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also if anyone's wondering Sam and Jess aren't together yet. They're currently in the awkward stage where they both like each other but are waiting for the other one to make a move.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! First things first I can't believe this has over 1000 hits! You guys are awesome. Special thanks to everyone who also got this to 19 subscribers, 37 kudos, 8 bookmarks, and 60 comments! Seriously, you guys are the best.

Castiel wandered over to the cluster of desks where his team was working. Every now and then someone would come over to congratulate them or ask them to share the story one more time. Of course by this point they had it perfected; they would each cut in at the appropriate times to properly tell the heroic tale. Uriel, however, did not join in and just rolled his eyes at the excited antics of this fellow team members.

When Castiel arrived they had already searched the missing persons database for the names on the IDs they found at Alistair's house and had some matches. They then began the more difficult task of trying to match the photos they had from the reports to the pictures of the mutilated victims. They were getting the most success from comparing when the people were reported missing to when the bodies were found. They had created a rough timeline to work with, but it was still difficult. The only successful identification so far was Dean, who was easier to identify because his face was intact, he was the only male victim, and of course because he'd told Castiel his name. 

Castiel pulled out a chair next to Uriel at the head of the cluster of desks. "How is it going?" He looked around at worn out faces of his team members, who all glanced up at his arrival before resuming work.

Samandriel was the first to answer him. "We've established a timeline and matched the IDs found at the suspect's house to missing persons. But so far the only identification we're sure about is Dean Winchester. The others we can guess on, but it's unclear because of the degree of damage to the bodies."

Castiel nodded. "What is the order from the timeline so far?"

Rachel spoke up next. "The first person reported missing was Sarah Blake, a college student studying art reported missing by her father. The a few days later was Ava Wilson, reported missing by her fiancé. The next week Lily Baker was reported missing by her girlfriend. Then it was Ruby Cortese, reported missing by her boss. The next missing persons report we have is for Dean Winchester, reported by his brother, but there was also an ID for one Bela Talbot, who was never reported missing but could be the female victim we found today."

Castiel pondered the new information. "Good work. Bela is most likely the girl we found in the basement because I believe Dean mentioned her name; he was practically delirious but he seemed to be referring to her. But the lack of a missing persons report is odd..."

Samandriel, who had been looking at the backgrounds of the victims in hopes of finding a connection, spoke up next. "Actually, sir, she may not have had anyone to report her. Her only family was her parents, who died in a car crash when she was fairly young. She inherited a small fortune, which means she doesn't have to work, and just moved to town recently. She had been living in London."

Castiel nodded. "Have we had any luck identifying the bodies with the new information?"

Uriel interrupted before anyone else could speak. His tone was dark with an undercurrent of annoyed anger. "We could just ask our murderer, but he's clammed up until his lawyer arrives. It's making us lose valuable time and information."

Hester made a slightly disturbed face at him. "Even if he is the one who's been doing this, he has that right. We can't just take that away."

Before his team could start arguing over Uriel's questionable views on civilians and negative views on criminals, Castiel tried to regain control. "The bodies?" He asked, slightly louder than necessary in order to regain attention. "Have they been identified?"

Inias looked at the pictures in front of him before speaking up. "The bodies were mutilated, but we did get a lot of new information today. Going off of the timeline and comparing body sizes, hair and eye color, and skin tone of the bodies to the descriptions in the reports, we might be able to match them now. So going off the timeline alone..." he hit a few buttons on the computer in front of him and shifted the photos of the bodies on his desk. "Jane Doe one would be Sarah Blake, Jane Doe two is Ava Wilson, Jane Doe three is Lily Baker, Jane Doe four is Ruby Cortese, and the body we found today is that of Bela Talbot."

Castiel nodded. "Good work. We should confirm the identities however possible before notifying the families. We would not want to cause undue alarm." With that the team began to compare the bodies found to the descriptions of the missing women.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just out of curiosity, are you guys ok with the current update schedule or would you rather get longer chapters but less frequent updates? The shorter chapters were good for building suspense early on but now that no one's in (immediate) danger it seem a little less worth it. Let me know what you think.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I got no comments last chapter so I guess I'll just continue with the current update schedule. 
> 
> Also anyone remember when I mentioned Sam and Jess are in that awkward mutual attraction but not dating yet phase? Prepare for awkwardness.

Sam spent the drive to the hospital calling everyone and telling the good news. He got could feel the relief from everyone, although they were concerned when he'd mentioned where Dean had been, but they were still glad to hear he was alive. They agreed to visit in shifts so they wouldn't overwhelm Dean as he recovered. The whole time Jess mainly kept her eyes on the road with the occasional look over whenever Sam got particularly emotional.

When they arrived at the hospital Sam immediately tried to get out, but stopped when he felt Jess's hand on his arm. He turned and looked at her. She looked nervous; she bit her bottom lip then started talking. "Just remember, don't get too worked up. That cop you talked to said that the serial killer had him, so he'll probably be in bad shape. He might not even be awake. Don't get your hopes up too high."

Sam took Jess's hand from his shoulder and held it for a moment. "He's alive. That's good enough for me." After a moment he realized he was staring into her eyes and holding her hand and dropped it, looking away awkwardly. "We should go in now." He got out of the car and headed for the doors, Jess following. 

They walked in and went to the front desk. There was a nurse there with short black hair looking over some charts. Sam walked up and cleared his throat. "Excuse me? Nurse?" She looked up and Sam looked at her name tag. "Tessa? Could you tell me where a patient is?"

She smiled up at him. "I could. Who are you looking for?"

"Dean Winchester? He would have just come in today?" He leaned over the counter, trying to get a peek at the computer screen.

Tessa turned to the computer and began to search. She paused when she got the result and looked up at Sam. "Winchester?" He nodded. "Room 401 on the fourth floor. I'll get Nurse Mosley to show you."

"Thank you." Sam turned back to Jess with a sigh of relief. "Thanks for coming with me. It means a lot."

She smiled at him. "No problem. I'm here for you Sam."

Their moment was interrupted by a new voice. "Are you the ones who need to find a room?" Sam nodded and she continued. "Hi. Missouri Mosley, at your service. Follow me."

When they were in the elevator the nurse turned to Sam and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about your brother. He's resilient, he'll be ok."

Sam and Jess shared a confused look before Sam turned back to Missouri. "How did you...?

"It's a gift. I'm good at reading people, and the worry's coming off of you in waves, boy. You shouldn't panic, he'll be fine." At that point the elevator dinged and they stepped out. Sam and Jess followed Missouri to a room at the end of hall. She peeked in the window on the closed door. "He's sleeping now, and the boy needs his rest. I'll get his doctor for you to talk to."

Sam muttered a thanks as she walked away and turned to peek in the window. "He looks bad Jess. There's so many machines and he's all covered in bandages. He's barely even moving." He turned away from the window and back to Jess. "He looks terrible. What am I supposed to do?"

She took a step closer and hugged him. "Don't worry Sam. He's still alive, and that's what counts. Everyone here will do their best to help him get better.” She backed away with a smile. “Besides, this is Dean were taking about. He's tough. He'll bounce back." They both turned when they heard someone approaching. 

A man in scrubs and a lab coat was standing there. When he spoke he had a slight British accent. "Hello there I'm Dr. Balthazar Roche. I understand you're Dean Winchester's brother?" He looked at Sam.

Sam took a step forward and shook his hand. "Yeah. Sam Winchester."

Before Sam could ask about Dean the doctor turned to Jess, eying her up and down. "And who is this lovely lady? Wife? Girlfriend?"

Jess smiled a little but spoke up to clarify. "No, I'm just a friend. Jessica Moore." She extended her hand.

Instead of shaking it, Balthazar took it in his and kissed the back. He looked up at her from his slight bow. "His loss I'm sure. Enchante."

Jessica began to laugh a bit at the attention but they were interrupted when Sam squirmed awkwardly then cleared his throat loudly. "How's my brother doing?"

Balthazar broke eye contact with Jess and dropped her hand. He turned to face Sam, going from flirty to professional instantly. "Dean was in critical condition when he arrived. He's stabilized, but because his injuries were so extensive he will need to rest for a while and it will be a long period of recovery. You can go in there if you like, but he's sleeping. I wouldn't recommend waking him up, but you can stay in there until he does on his own. Now if you'll excuse me I should get back to my rounds." With that he walked away, leaving the two of them in the hall outside Dean's door.

Sam turned to Jess. "I think I'm gonna stay here. Can you tell the boss I'm taking a personal day?" 

She nodded. "I should get back, so I'll tell him for you. Get in touch later, ok?" She looked up at him with a degree of concern and he smiled.

"Of course. Thanks for coming with today Jess." She hugged him one last time and then they parted ways, her back to the car and Sam to Dean's room to wait for him to wake up. He pulled a chair up next to the bed and tried to get comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam probably violated some sort of police protocol by telling everyone about Dean and where he was. Oh well. 
> 
> Also something I just realized (not sure why I didn't think if this or if any of you have already realized this) is that Dean would probably have a few days worth of scruff going at this point. Alistair certainly wouldn't have shaved his face and I doubt they would at the hospital either unless he asked. It's really random but I guess since I don't have to shave my face I never thought of that.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first shoutout to the four people who commented last chapter as well as the 2 people who left kudos and my new subscriber. You guys are awesome and seriously make my day.
> 
> Heads up for brief description of the aftermath of torture in the first paragraph.

Castiel and his team spent a few hours arguing over whether the timeline of missing people matched the order they found the bodies in. They tried comparing the descriptions of the missing women to the bodies found, but it was difficult. Skin tone was difficult to compare when the skin was shredded and paled from blood loss. Body weight was difficult to compare when the victims had clearly been starved and lost weight during the ordeal. Height and hair color lead to greater success, but not in cases where many bones were broken or hair had been bloodstained or ripped out. But after their hours of work they finally had all the victims identified and they were as sure as they could be. They just had to decide who would call the victims' families with the bad news. It was midafternoon already when Anna approached.

Everyone looked up at the Head Detective when she stopped in front of their cluster of desks. "Castiel, Uriel, come with me. Michael's holding a press conference and he wants the two of you to be there because you led the investigation. They're starting at the front of the station in 5 minutes. Let's go." She turned around and Castiel and Uriel got up and followed her.

When they arrived at the doors they straightened out their suits before moving outside. Michael was waiting near the doors. A little further away was the podium to talk at and in front of it there were the chairs for the reporters, who had mainly showed up already. When they saw the chief and the detectives assembled at the door, they all turned their attention away from their conversations and readied their recording equipment. Seeing that the reporters had all gathered and were ready, Michael approached the podium.

"Good afternoon everyone. As you all know, I am Police Chief Michael Angelos. I'm sure you're wondering why I called this press conference this afternoon." He paused as there was some muttering amongst the reporters. "Well, I have major news. We have made an arrest in the serial killer case. Earlier today Alistair Smith was apprehended in his home. Based on the overwhelming evidence we have gathered, we believe he is the murderer." Excited muttering filled the crowd and the reporters began to raise their hands for questions. They paused when Michael cleared his throat into the microphone. "At this point I will allow questions for the detectives who handled the case, Castiel Novak and Uriel James." He looked back at the detectives. "Come on now, don't be shy. Introduce yourselves. You've done your city a great service."

Castiel looked nervously at Uriel as they approached the podium. He didn't like public speaking, but he approached anyways. "Hello. My name is Castiel Novak."

Uriel spoke next. "And my name is Uriel James. Do you have any questions for us?" At that point the crowd returned to a certain degree of chaos as the reporters all tried to get their questions in. Uriel pointed to a squirrelly man in the front row.

"Yes, hi, Chuck Shirley with the Daily Gazette. What lead you to this suspect?"

Castiel looked at Uriel before deciding he should take this question. "I received an anonymous tip with the name and location of the suspect. After further investigation, we obtained a warrant and went to the suspect's house this morning. There we found the suspect and two victims, one living and one dead." He pointed to another reporter. 

A blonde reporter spoke up next. "Becky Rosen, Channel 2 Evening News. What can you tell us about the victims?"

Uriel answered. "There were six total. Five females, who were captured and killed first, and the latest victim, a man who is in recovery."

"We are not going to disclose the identity of the deceased victims until we notify their families. The final victim we will not identify for reasons of privacy," Castiel added. He pointed to a young Asian reporter.

"Kevin Tran with the Channel 5 Nightly News. What can you tell us about the suspect? Does he have any connections to the Demon gang or Lucifer?"

Uriel began to talk before Castiel could fully comprehend the question. "Although Alistair has an arrest record and is known to have connections to the Demon gang, it is unlikely Lucifer had anything to do with these killings. Next question." Castiel gave Uriel a slightly confused look out of the corner of his eye before picking the next reporter to ask a question.

The red headed reporter consulted her tablet for a moment, then looked back up. "Charlie Bradbury, Morning Tribune. If this Alistair has an arrest record as extensive as he does, why was he still on the loose and not in jail? Clearly he was dangerous."

Although he was still a little thrown off by Uriel's last answer, Castiel turned to the reporter. But before he could respond, Michael swooped in and resumed his spot behind the podium. Despite his quick moments, the police chief remained calm and charismatic as he always was before the public. "Alistair Smith is known to be dangerous, but he was previously able to remain unconvicted once the case was beyond us in the legal system. I assure you that the police department is doing its best to ensure the safety of every citizen. We will continue to work with the District Attorney’s office to keep dangerous people like Alistair off the streets. Now since our detectives have more work to do, I believe we're done here. You can call to request individual interviews if you want more information." He then turned away and gestured for Castiel, Anna, and Uriel to return to the station as the reporters dispersed with confused mumbling behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact (that's not all that important to the story): Jess and Charlie work at the same newspaper and get along well.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have I said you guys are awesome? Cuz you are. The amount of support this fic is getting is amazing. 40 kudos, 21 subscribers, 8 bookmarks, 70 comments, and over 1100 hits? I always feel weird putting stats here cuz it seems braggy but I'm just astounded by how much you guys seem to be liking this fic. Besides, I don't think many people read this part of the authors notes.

After the press conference abruptly ended, Castiel and Uriel returned to their team. Now that they had the identities of the victims sorted out, they just needed to decide who was calling the families to notify them. No one wanted to deliver the bad news. 

Rachel broke the silence that settled over the group first. "Well, there's six of us and six victims. We could each notify a family."

Samandriel spoke next. "But not everyone has known family. Bela and Ruby didn't have any next of kin."

"I already notified Dean Winchester's family that he was alive." Everyone looked at Castiel for a moment. 

"But we hadn't identified anyone else yet. You shouldn't have told anyone before we were sure about everyone." Hester seemed slightly annoyed at what she saw as a breach of protocol.

"We had already identified him, plus he had identified himself to me when I found him." Castiel looked around at his team. "Since he was alive and his identity was confirmed, I figured I would spare his family the undue stress of waiting to hear about him." When everyone else still did not look especially convinced, he added, "Michael allowed it." This seemed to appease the rest of the team so Castiel changed the subject. "What about the other victims?"

Uriel snorted in his seat. "I do not wish to speak with any families. Bela Talbot had no one, so that is one we don't have to worry about."

"I don't think any family would want to hear the news from Uriel." Hester mumbled to Inais, who laughed. She turned back to the group. "I can contact Sarah Blake's family."

"I can call whomever reported Ruby Cortese missing," said Rachel. 

Inias spoke up next. "I'll get in touch with Ava Wilson's family."

Samandriel looked around. "So I guess that means I should contact Lily Baker's family to notify them."

Castiel looked around the cluster of desks. "Well. That was simpler than I would have expected. With that decided I suppose we should split up so you can call the families. Uriel, we should continue to look for a pattern to the murders."

Castiel barely had the words out of his mouth before Uriel spoke next, sounding exasperated. "There is none. Just go check on the last victim again to make sure he hasn't died. Michael would be _so_ disappointed if he did."

Castiel blinked in surprise. "Alright. I will check in with Anna then return to the hospital. I wish all of you luck contacting the families." With one last look around at his colleagues, who all seemed surprised by Uriel, Castiel left to look for Anna. 

When he found her she had just left Michael's office, possibly discussing matters brought up in the press conference. She spotted him first. "What's up Castiel?"

"My team has identified all the victims and is proceeding to call the families to give them the bad news. I was wondering if I could go and check in on the surviving victim." He stared at her a moment, then added, "because of what Michael assigned me to do this morning."

Anna laughed a little at his stiffness and smiled at him. "It's ok to just say that you're concerned.” Her face grew serious for a moment. “Just be careful with emotional attachments Castiel. But you have my permission to go." 

Castiel nodded. "Thank you. I will head out now." At Anna's wave goodbye he turned and left to go check on Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're catching up to how much I have written. But don't worry, this won't get abandoned. I have another arc planned (that's already started sortof in the story) and I've just thought of another possible arc that I'm not sure if I'll write as part of this fic because it's just a vague idea and would probably make this fic close to 75k when I finish. But I might do the new arc as a sequel. That is if you guys aren't sick of this 'verse by then. I'm expecting this fic to be close to 50k when I'm done, so it would probably be a bit before the sequel starts going up if that happens.
> 
> Also, one of my friends just got an account so you should all go check out missingmymothership on here.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry this is so late but I had a crazy (but awesome) day today. Anyways shout out to my 2 commenters, my new subscriber, and the person who left kudos! You're awesome.

When Castiel arrived at the hospital, he made his way to the room he remembered Dean being in earlier. But before he went in the room he was stopped by a familiar voice. "Cassie?"

Castiel turned around and was surprised to see a familiar face he hadn't seen in years. "Balthazar? What are you doing here?"

Balthazar hugged Castiel before head time to react. "Ah Cassie it is you! I haven't seen you since university." He let go of the detective. "And in case you couldn't tell," Balthazar gestured to his lab coat, "I work here. I was actually assigned Mr. Winchester's case even before I heard that you performed the heroic rescue.” He gave him a pat on the back. “Congratulations, by the way. You're a local celebrity now. The talk of the town."

Castiel looked away at the praise. "I was merely doing my job. It is nice to have saved someone though." He looked Balthazar directly in the eyes. "Do your best to ensure his recovery. It is important that he gets well again."

"Well of course Cassie what do you think we do here?” Balthazar rolled his eyes. “He'll be better in no time, relax." 

Castiel nodded. "Of course. I'll go check on him."

Balthazar sighed. "Ok but he's most likely still sleeping. His giant of a brother went in there a while ago and hasn't left yet. I'm sure he would have roused the whole floor if his brother so much as twitched to indicate consciousness. But if you insist on waiting too, then I suppose I can't stop you. I'll be in later to check his vitals." 

Castiel murmured a "thank you" as Balthazar turned and walked away. When Castiel entered Dean's room he saw the man from the station, who he now knew as Dean's brother Sam Winchester, hunched in a chair next to Dean's bedside, asleep. But at the sound of the door closing Sam's head jerked up and he looked at Castiel.

"Who are you?" Sam asked, still slightly groggy. 

"I am Detective Castiel Novak. I believe we spoke over the phone." He looked around for another chair but did not see one immediately so he remained standing. 

Sam stared at him a moment before understanding flared in his eyes. "Wait, I saw you at that press conference on TV. You led the raid that found Dean."

Castiel nodded in confirmation. "I was the one who found your brother." Before he could react Sam was out of his chair and had enveloped Castiel in a hug. 

"Thank you." Sam made a noise like a sob next to Castiel's ear. "Thank you for saving my brother. I almost thought..." He backed away, the unspoken _that I'd lost him_ hanging heavy in the air. Sam wiped at his nose with the back of his hand. "Sorry for... that. I'm just so relieved."

Castiel glanced over to the still unconscious Dean. "I can understand. It is alright." 

Sam appeared to think for a second before speaking again, sounding hesitant. "Would you like to wait with me? Until he wakes up?"

Castiel thought for a moment. He did not want to intrude on a private family moment, but he did want to ensure that Dean was alright and he had been invited. "I will ask Balthazar for another chair."

He received a slight smile from Sam before he left the room and returned with an additional chair. He put his chair on the side of the bed opposite Sam and they settled in to keep vigil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also random (but related to why this update is later than normal) you should go check out Gabriel Iglesias. He's hilarious.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First things first I cannot believe this has over 1200 hits! Doing the math that means that around 40 of you are turning up for every chapter, which is awesome. Also since this has 41 kudos that could mean that all of you have left kudos, which is astounding. You guys are seriously awesome and make my day!
> 
> Anyways, have more Sam and Cas bonding time, now with a conscious Dean!

Sam and Castiel had settled into a comfortable silence and sat for a while, nearly nodding off when they heard a slight groan from the bed between them. Sam instantly jumped up and grabbed his brother's hand, but Castiel stayed back apprehensively. 

"Dean?" Sam leaned over his brother's face as Dean's eyelids started to flutter open. 

"Sammy? Is that you?" Dean's voice was still weak as he opened his eyes and looked at his brother. "God it's good to see you again. But dude, personal space, I can practically feel your girl hair on my face." He tried to sit up but was stopped by both his brother and Castiel. "Guys at least let me sit up," He whined. "I'm injured, not dead!" 

"You sustained numerous life threatening injuries and have damage that will take weeks if not months to heal. You need to rest." Sam and Dean both turned to Castiel as he spoke, then Sam looked smugly at Dean. "However, I believe the hospital bed adjusts automatically, so you could be in a sitting position without strain." Castiel looked for a moment before finding the remote and handing it to Dean. "Can you press the buttons yourself or do you require assistance?"

"I'm fine. Geez. Don't you two have anything to do but mother hen me all day long? What about your jobs?" He pushed the button to move into a seated position. "That's better." He looked at them. "Seriously though, what's with the watching me sleep? It's a little creepy."

"We're just worried about you. You were gone for like four days Dean. Four. Days." Sam stared at his brother for a moment to let it sink in. "Besides, it's night already. No job with regular hours is working." He pointed to the night sky outside the window.

"Nighttime already huh? Wow. The stuff they give you here is good. Wait." He looked at Sam, alarm clear on his face. "I was down there for four days?" He looked at both his brother and Castiel for confirmation and they both nodded. He leaned back against the bed with a haunted look in his eyes and repeated it again quietly. "Four days. It sure as hell didn't feel like four days. It felt like forty years."

Sam leaned in again. "Do you...do you want to talk about it?"

Dean turned back to his brother, eyes full of stubborn resolve. "No. Not at all. Not even a little bit. I do NOT want to talk about it. Ever."

Castiel cleared his throat, Michael's orders on his mind. "It may feel that way now, but it can be good to discuss things instead of holding them in. Eventually you should try to talk about what happened."

Dean's annoyed glare turned to Castiel. "Alright thanks Dr. Phil. I'll keep that in mind."

Before anyone could say anything further, the doctor came in. Castiel looked up as the door opened. "Balthazar! He woke up."

"I can see that Cassie; our dear Lazarus has finally risen. Hello there, I'm Dr. Balthazar Roche and I'll be making sure you recover instead of die. You two," he turned to Sam and Castiel, "look terrible. And that is my professional opinion, so go home, eat, and sleep. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again and don't worry, I will keep you updated on any major changes if you give your information to one of the nurses at the desk. Now go. Visiting hours are almost up and I need to check on my patient." As he spoke he had slowly but surely walked them towards the door, which he shut as he finished speaking. The two of them stood out in the hallway, blinking at each other outside the closed door for a moment before Sam broke the silence.

"Alright well, thanks for waiting with me. I'm gonna go leave my info with the desk nurse, then I should give everyone an update." He started to walk away, then turned back to Castiel. He paused and turned back around. "Actually, I'm gonna go meet up with everyone at a bar near here that has food, and I'm probably gonna just eat there. Let me buy you dinner and a beer for saving my brother and waiting with me. It's the least I can do." 

Castiel hesitated a moment before answering. "No, it is alright. I would not want to impose. Besides, I was just doing my job."

Sam unleashed what Castiel would later hear Dean call 'the puppy dog eyes of doom.' "Please? C'mon, you just caught a serial killer and saved my brother's life. You deserve to celebrate."

Castiel could feel his resolve weakening. "Alright. I will accompany you."

Sam's face lit up. "Great! Oh also, I got driven here, so could I get a ride there? I could give you directions."

Castiel began to wonder if he was already in too deep with the Winchester brothers, but agreed anyway. "My car is out front. Let us speak with the nurse at the front desk then head over." 

"Thank you!" Sam smiled at him and turned away to the elevator. Castiel followed him, wondering what he was getting himself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize Dean may seem a little ooc with how much he's talking but I'm blaming the meds. And he has a head injury, but once again I am not a doctor and have little to no experience in this area. If you do have experience, feel free to let me know so I can fix it.
> 
> Also bonus points if you catch the reference to a season 4 episode in this chapter.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first thanks to my 4 commenters and 2 people who left kudos! Your feedback really makes my day.
> 
> And warning for a nightmare sequence in this chapter. I don't think it's any worse than what you'd see in most episodes of the show, but if you want to skip it it's between the asterisks(*). The content of it isn't important for the story, so don't worry about missing anything if you skip.

Balthazar turned to Dean once the door was closed. "Alright. I thought they'd never leave, they were here for hours. But now that the guards are gone, now are you feeling?"

Dean looked at him then back to his heavily bandaged body and back. "What do you think?"

Balthazar shot him a look. "The answer I was expecting, but I still have to ask as a doctor." He looked down at his charts. "Are you getting enough medication? I'd imagine you're in a lot of pain."

Dean was in a lot of pain, not that he'd ever admit it. "Maybe a little more."

"Alright then." Balthazar made a note on his chart then looked up. "Oh and now that you're conscious I have to inform you that the hospital psychiatrist will be coming by to see you tomorrow. Standard operating procedure for patients that have undergone traumatic events."

Dean looked at Balthazar in indignantly. "No way I'm seeing a shrink. I don't need to!"

Balthazar shot Dean a disbelieving look. "You were held captive by a serial killer for several days and sustained life threatening injures. No one can emerge from that unscathed. But don't worry about it. You'll like Dr. Barnes. She's... charming. In her own sort of way." The doctor smirked at his own comment.

Dean tried to lift his arms to cross them, but couldn't. "Charming. You make her sound like the awkward ugly cousin someone tries to set you up with."

Balthazar grinned. "Oh that is not how I would describe Pam. Just you wait. If that's what you're picturing, you're in for a shock when you meet her."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just do these tests so I can go back to sleep."

Balthazar looked at the machines attached to Dean. "Those give me most of the information I need. The fact that you can basically carry on a conversation shows me that you aren't in too terrible shape mentally. I or the other hospital staff will be alerted if your vitals begin to drop. So for now I'll let you rest and recover." Balthazar turned and walked to the door. "I'll see you later Mr. Winchester." With that he walked out of the room.

 _Finally._ Dean thought as he tried to get comfortable on the bed. He found the remote again and put it in a position he could sleep in. He was still exhausted. Everyone said it had only been days, but it felt like years. And he'd slept fitfully at best between the uncomfortable position, torture, and his injures. Sure, he'd been mostly unconscious from the moment Castiel got him out to when he woke up in this room, but it wasn't the same as sleeping. He could use a little quality shut eye. He felt himself drifting off. 

*beginning of nightmare*

He was greeted by Bela's shredded face, still on the rack but now right in front of him. "Why did you do this to me Dean?"

"What? I didn't do anything!" His response was cut off by Bela screaming as blood flowed rapidly from her wounds and her eyes rolled back in her head. He tried to run forward to help her as she began to slide away from him on the rack but he found he was once again unable to move, locked onto his rack. He closed his eyes and pulled at his restraints but stopped at a familiar voice.

"Tsk tsk. Did you really think you'd get away from me?" Bela and the background faded to black then bright blood red as Dean saw the killer once again, holding up a bloody knife. "Now, shall we pick up where we left off?"

"No." Dean shook his head. "This can't be real. I got saved."

"Aww, did you really think they'd come get _you?_ What makes you so special?" Dean felt a knife in his side. "You'll die here just like everyone else." His tormentor seemed to turn to black smoke ad swirl around Dean, every point of contact stinging like a knife. It only paused as Dean felt breath on his shoulder and the voice he hated whispered, “You’re stuck with me forever.”

*end of nightmare*

"No. No! NO!" Dean awoke with a start, still screaming and shaking. He looked over and saw a nurse by his side. Her name tag said Milligan. "What are you doing here?"

She looked at his machines and reached out to take his pulse. "Your heart monitor was going crazy and we thought you might be coding. Balthazar went to get the crash cart, but when we saw it was a false alarm I sent him back to his rotation and decided to stay to see if you were ok." She let go of his wrist and gave him a comforting look. "Nightmare?"

Dean nodded slightly, embarrassed to be having nightmares when he was nearly 30 years old. "Yeah. Thanks for checking in. Nurse...?" He left it open, hoping to catch her name.

"You can call me Kate. And I was just doing my job." She smiled at him. "You remind me a bit of my son, Adam. He got terrible nightmares as a kid. He thought monsters were gonna come through the vents and eat us.” She chuckled and an amused look crossed her face briefly. “But now he's at college and hasn't had one for years. I'm sure it's worse when it comes from a real life monster, but I bet yours will go away or at least get better eventually too. For now, do you want some medicine to help you sleep, hopefully without the dreams?" 

Dean smiled weakly at her. "That would be great, thanks. And, don't tell anyone how bad it was, alright? None of my family?"

Kate squeezed his hand. "It'll be our little secret for now, but you should probably tell Dr. Barnes.” She got up from her chair and released his hand. “Now I'm gonna go get you that medicine. I'll be back soon." As she turned and left Dean closed his eyes, smiling a bit still. But he still fought off sleep until she returned and put the medicine into his IV, making him fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea if seeing a psychiatrist is actually standard operating procedure at any hospitals. If it isn't it really should be, since according to my research that can help with PTSD (which in this fic Dean has a mild case of [it's only mild because he's actually getting help], and looking at symptoms I think Dean definitely has/had it in the show, especially post-hell).
> 
> Also in this AU the Milligans are not related to the Winchesters in any way. John is not Adam's dad.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! As of last chapter this is my fic with the most hits! It also has the most chapters by about 10 at this point, but whatever. Anyways thanks to everyone who's reading and everyone who's gotten this up to 20 subscribers, 45 kudos, 8 bookmarks, and 88 comments! You guys are awesome. 
> 
> And don't worry, no warnings for this chapter.

Castiel looked warily at the building Sam had directed him to as they pulled up. The fading neon sign read "The Roadhouse" above the door on an old looking wooden building. Light and music poured out of the open windows. "Is this it?" Castiel asked, squinting past Sam at the dive bar. 

"Yep." Sam looked affectionately at the old bar. "This is it. Welcome to the Roadhouse Detective Novak."

"Call me Castiel." The detective said distractedly as they got out of the car and approached the bar.

"Ok Castiel." Sam said as they approached the building and he pushed the doors open. It wasn't too crowded since it was a weeknight, but Sam still saw most of the regulars. He waved to Jo, who was dropping something off at one of the tables, and patted Ash on the shoulder when he passed him sitting at the bar. He pulled up a barstool and gestured for Castiel to do the same before calling over Ellen. 

Ellen walked over from where she'd been talking to Bobby at the end of the bar and smiled at Sam a bit before taking a good look at the newcomer next to him. "Hey Sam. Bobby and I were just talking about the news about Dean. You must be relieved they found him."

Sam smiled but slumped slightly in his seat, showing all the tension he'd felt the past few days. "Yeah. He's in pretty bad shape, but he's alive. Now he's just gotta make it through the recovery."

Ellen looked a little relieved. "He'll make it. This is Dean we're talking about, that boy is tough." She turned her attention to Castiel again. "Who's your friend?"

Sam looked a Castiel for a moment, having almost forgot that the detective was there because he was so quiet. "Ellen, this is Detective Castiel Novak. He's one that saved Dean."

Ellen smiled at Castiel. "Well anyone who saved the life of one the boys is always welcome here. For you, hero, the newcomer's special is on the house."

Castiel tilted his head in confusion. "Newcomer's special?" His question was answered as Ellen laid out a row shot glasses and began to fill them with whiskey. 

"Everybody who comes in here and is legal has to pass the test. If you can do all the shots, you should fit in here just fine." Ellen sent him another smile, this time with a challenging edge. "Drink up."

Castiel eyed the glasses warily for a moment. He rarely went out with his fellow officers, but when he did they didn't drink much. He hoped he would have a high tolerance for alcohol. "Alright." He glanced at Sam out of the corner of his eye and saw the younger man was watching him, earner to see if he would accept the challenge. He grabbed the first shot and swallowed it, turning the glass upside down on the bar before reaching for the next one. He continued until all of the shots were gone. He felt the whiskey settle in his stomach after as a slight buzz began to kick in. "I think I'm beginning to feel something." 

Ellen and Sam both laughed a bit. Ellen spoke up first. "Well Castiel, I think you'll fit in just fine around here. Welcome to the Roadhouse."

__________

Alistair sat on the bed in his small cell, alone. They'd deemed him too dangerous to be put with others, and they'd also made him change into a prison jumpsuit after searching him thoroughly for any weapons. Now that everyone knew of his work, they were more careful with him. They'd even left his handcuffs and ankle shackles on as precaution. But none of that was what bothered him. Thanks to that nosy cop, his last work had been unfinished. That would not stand. He had to finish his masterpiece. And maybe he'd make another one out of that cop who interrupted him while he was at it. He just needed the opportunity.

A thought popped into Alistair's head and he smiled. Just a bit of waiting, then he had someone to talk to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was anyone waiting for the other shoe to drop?


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! First things first thanks to my 3 new subscribers, 2 people who left kudos, and 1 commenter! You guys are awesome.

Castiel was leaning on Sam as they stumbled out of the bar. It was probably far too late for either of them to be out when they both had work the next day, and they were definitely way too drunk when they both had work the next day. Ellen had already taken away Castiel's keys and said she'd call a cab to get them home. Sam had had a moment of panic about where his car was, then drunkenly laughed as he'd realized it was still at his work. He'd have to figure out how to get there tomorrow, but Castiel thought he heard the name "Jess" mentioned.

Castiel really didn't remember much of the evening. Everyone at the bar seemed close, and he'd met many people who said they were Dean's friends and clapped him on the back as thanks for saving Dean. Then they'd order another round “for the hero!” All those rounds probably had to do with why he couldn't remember much from that night.

He'd met a lot of people. The names blurred together after a while, but everybody seemed to like Dean. Castiel was glad he'd saved him. And not just because of what Michael wanted. That thought made Castiel's brain de-haze a bit. Did he really only want to get close to Dean because of what Michael wanted? Did he want to do what Michael wanted at all? Dean seemed like a good person. Should he really have to face his attacker again? Castiel decided he liked Dean. He'd stick with him even after the case was done. 

But he did have his orders. Should he follow them? If he didn't, he'd have to face Naomi in Internal Affairs like Zachariah had already threatened that one time. She was known for being scary, like she could dig right into your brain to find all of your secrets. But he didn't want to hurt Dean either.

"Dude, cab's here." Castiel looked up. At some point he had stopped while Sam had stumbled on towards the street. And the tall man was right, there was a cab there. Castiel wandered over to it. 

Ellen had walked them out because it was near the bar's weeknight closing time and she wanted to make sure they didn't hurt themselves or do anything stupid like wander into traffic. Castiel watched as she handed money to the cab driver before helping both boys in. She closed the door and leaned in through the window. "Alright boys, this guy'll take you home. I paid him, so just tell him where to go." She backed away. "See you boys."

Both of them mumbled their addresses and the cab took off. They sat in silence for a while. Castiel looked over to Sam, but he was staring out the window. He looked out his but was surprised when he heard the other man's voice. "Thanks for coming out tonight and everything." Sam made a vague gesture that Castiel decided meant that 'everything' meant 'saving my brother, staying with me until he woke up, etc.'

"It was no problem." Castiel looked back at Sam, but the other man was looking out the window still. "Your brother seems like a good man, I'm glad we got to him in time." 

Sam did not look at Castiel. "He is a good dude. Practically raised me when our mom died and Dad lost it. I'm glad you got him." At that point the cab slowed to a stop in front and the driver announced Sam's address. Castiel found he was almost glad because he was unsure how to respond to that drunkenly divulged bit of information. But Sam spoke up again. "That's me. See ya Castiel." He climbed out of the cab and Castiel watched as he walked to his door.

As the cab pulled away Castiel though back on how much had happened in the last 24 hours. He'd caught the serial killer, saved a life, somehow become integrated into a tight knit group of people he hadn't even known prior to that afternoon, and started to like a man he'd barely met (while conscious at least). He began to wonder if he as getting too attached to this case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It annoys me when people say we can't have all of Team Free Will on the show regularly. Especially the people who think Dean has to "choose" between Sam and Cas. You must have a pretty lonely life if you think that you can only care about one person at a time. Anyways that's getting sad so I'm going to wrap up this AN, if any of you are actually reading still.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! First off thanks to the person who left me a kudo and the 2 people who left comments. You guys are the greatest.

Dean awoke the next morning feeling marginally better, but still pretty terrible. There was a moment of panic at the unfamiliar surroundings. He wasn't sure it was real, but then he remembered. He'd gotten out. He'd been saved. Why had **he** been saved? He remembered his nightmare form the day before, the pain on Bela's face. Why did he get to live when she died?

He was drawn out of his thoughts by the nurse from yesterday. Kate maybe? "How'd the medicine work last night? Any more dreams?" She moved in to check his vitals.

"No, all gone. Thanks." Dean smiled at her, but he could tell it was still weak. She finished checking his vitals and backed away.

"That's good. And I know you told me not to tell anyone -and I won't- but you should really tell Pamela when she comes in, which should be soon." Kate started walking to the door. 

"Wait!" Dean called out and the nurse turned around. "Who's Pamela?"

Kate frowned a bit. "Dr. Pamela Barnes, the hospital psychiatrist. Balthazar should have told you about it."

Dean felt a fuzzy memory from before he first fell asleep coming back. "I guess he did. But I don't need a shrink." Dean did his best not to come across as petulant, but he failed.

The nurse smiled softly at him. "Just relax. She won't make you talk if you don't want to. But I have to get back to my rounds now, and you have to talk to Pam. She'll be here any minute." With that Kate exited the room, leaving Dean alone with his thoughts. 

No more than 10 minutes passed before a new woman walked in. Dean assumed she was the shrink, but she wasn't what he was expecting. Her wavy brown hair hung loose around her shoulders and although she wore the typical white coat for doctors, underneath she had on an ACDC shirt and jeans instead of scrubs. She smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Dr. Pamela Barnes. I understand you're my reluctant patient?"

Dean resisted the urge to slump into the bed. "No offense to you, but I still don't think I need a shrink."

Pamela flipped though the file in her hands as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. "It says here that after you were missing for a while they found you in Alistair's basement with cuts and bruises all over your body, as well as a bunch of other medical problems, facing another rack with the body of a girl who had recently died." She looked up. "I've heard a lot of BS in my time, but there's no way you can walk away from that unscathed."

Dean took a moment to process what she said, but something stood out. "Alistair?"

Pamela looked back at her file. "That's the name of the suspect according to the press conference yesterday." She looked up with a teasing smirk. "What, he didn't introduce himself?" She made a disapproving tsk tsk noise. "Well I guess murderers these days have no manners." Her look got more serious. "But really, how are you holding up?"

Dean looked at down at his bandage covered body. "I still appear to be in once piece, despite that creep's best efforts."

Pamela rolled her eyes. "Good, but I meant up there." She pointed to his head with her pen. "You gotta take care of yourself more than just physically you know."

Dean looked at her. "I'd really rather not talk about it. Can we do anything else?" He looked at her shirt. "You have good taste in music. Got anything to play? I haven't heard music in forever."

Pamela leaned forward and eyed him warily. "You going to have to talk it out eventually. Even if share and care isn't your thing, it's better in the long run." She leaned back against the chair. "But lucky for you I'm awesome and I know that you can't always talk right away. And I always carry my phone with all my music." She pulled it out and scrolled through a playlist. "If anyone asks, this is music therapy while I wait for you to recover enough to speak." She looked up at him seriously. "And you will talk to me eventually. But now, I've got some good music queued up, so relax and let the guitar solos soothe you." She hit play and Back in Black blared out of the speakers.

Dean decided that as therapists went, he could probably have worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah Pamela. Another pretty cool character who died way too soon.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First things first thanks to my commenter. You're awesome. 
> 
> Who wants more Cas?

Castiel rubbed his fingers to his temples for the umpteenth time that day. He had had too much to drink with Sam the night before, but he still had to come in to work. So here he was, sitting at his desk in the station where the lights seemed way too bright.

He wasn't quite sure what he was doing here anyways. Since they had caught Alistair, the police part of the investigation was basically over. There was a bit of paperwork to go through for the evidence and they each had to write a report of the incident, but the case was reaching the point where it would be handed over to the District Attorney’s office any day now so they could prepare the case for trial. Rachel, Hester, Samadriel, and Inias had already started on new cases or returned to their regular work. Uriel was just finishing the last of the evidence paperwork but would get a new case within a few days probably. But the order had come from above that Castiel was to get no new cases until he was successful with his "special project" from Michael.

Castiel groaned and put his head in his hands, the headache from more than the hangover now. He knew that he didn't want Dean to ever have to face Alistair again. Dean seemed like a good man in all the stories Castiel had heard the night before. Everyone told their favorite Dean stories, most of which involved him helping people out, getting them out of trouble, or fighting off someone who was bothering them. Sam talked about how Dean started working at the garage right out of high school so Sam could afford college and law school. Castiel had begun to wish he could go back in time and save Dean earlier so he wouldn't experience any trauma. 

But in order for Castiel to do his job he would have to make Dean face his attacker again, remember the whole incident, and tell the whole courtroom everything that happened. And if he couldn't get Dean to do it, Castiel could get in trouble. Michael hated it when people didn't do as he said, and the group at Internal Affairs was vicious. Naomi and her spies had taken down many people before. Castiel really didn't want to have them go after him. So he would have to get Dean to agree to take the stand, as much as he didn’t want to put Dean through that.

Castiel sighed and grabbed his trench coat as he got ready to head out. Since there was no work for him here, he might as well go check on Dean. There would be more people today now that everyone knew Dean was alive and in stable enough condition to receive visitors. Before they got too drunk yesterday night Sam had begun making a schedule for when people would visit Dean. Since he was still recovering they were limiting it to close friends, but Sam had convinced Ellen to have a party at the bar once Dean was released from the hospital. Castiel couldn't help but wonder if being inundated with concerned well-wishers was really good for someone who'd just suffered severe trauma, but he didn't speak up. He'd never been the best with people anyways.

Uriel gave him a look as he prepared to leave. "Going to see the survivor again?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes, I'm going to check on Dean." A part of him wondered why Uriel never bothered to learn names in any of their cases unless he had too. It always made him seem a bit …aloof.

Uriel shook his head. "It's a waste of good police power to have you babysitting him. With all the evidence we have we shouldn't need any witnesses."

Castiel pulled on his trench coat. "Try telling Chief Angelos that. But he insists on having Dean testify, so I must follow orders. I can stay if you need help with the paperwork though." He hesitated and looked as Uriel. 

Uriel waved him off. "No, I can handle it. Go see your trauma victim." He turned back to his computer. 

Castiel nodded once more and turned to leave the building. He hoped this new case wouldn't cause any long term problems with Uriel. His partner already seemed to be getting more irritable about the whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this fic might have more Cas than the show currently does.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First things first I can't believe this now has over 1500 hits! Thank you to everyone that's been reading and especially to everyone that's been commenting, bookmarking, subscribing, and leaving kudos! You guys are amazing! I realize the story has been a bit less exciting lately since there's less threat of imminent death, but I'm trying to make this accurate and in real life you can't be instantly healed. But anyways thanks to everyone who's still reading.

Castiel's head continued to bother him when he got to the hospital. He made it in, nodded politely to the nurses, then went straight to the elevator and hit the button for Dean's floor. When he stepped out at the proper floor he was immediately greeted by a familiar voice. "Cassie!" He turned around, wincing slightly at the volume of Balthazar's voice. It did not go unnoticed by the doctor.

"Dear God are you hungover? I haven't seen you hungover since college!" Balthazar laughed, ignoring Castiel's death glare.

"This is not funny, Balthazar." Castiel spoke, rubbing his temples. Balthazar's natural loudness was only making his headache worse.

"There there, Cassie boy, it'll get better. In fact," Balthazar looked around quickly, "if you want I could get you some of the good stuff that would make that go right away. I've certainly used it after my more wild nights, and I'm sure I've seen Pam get some too. Are you interested?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. It is bearable, and you should save that for those who truly need it. I just came to check on Dean."

Balthazar smiled at his old friend. "Your loss. And you might want to wait a bit to see your damsel in distress, he's got a full room already. Since his brother got the news out there's been all sorts of people here to see him. The three in there came earlier this morning and haven't left yet."

Castiel glanced throughout the window on the door and recognized Ellen, Jo, and Bobby from the night before. "I can wait. His family should get to see him." He turned back to Balthazar. "You're his doctor. How is he doing?"

Balthazar rolled his eyes. "About the same as when you were in here yesterday. Those kinds of injuries don't just heal overnight."

Castiel nodded. "Of course." He glanced in the window again. "I could go in to see for myself..."

Balthazar sighed and ran a hand over his face. When Castiel looked at him again he began to speak. "I would let you in there, but I know it can be overwhelming for trauma victims to be exposed to too many people at once. As a doctor, my first priority is ensuring the patient's health, mental and physical, so as a doctor I must tell you to shoo. You can come see him later. Or work out an appointment on the brother's schedule. There must be an opening." He looked back at Castiel. "It's nothing personal, just my job. Besides, you look like you could use the rest so go home and come back this evening. I promise you he will still be here." Balthazar glanced in the window. "Probably still be here for a while with injuries like that honestly." He looked back at Castiel. "So as a doctor and your friend I'm telling you to go home and sleep off your hangover. You can come check on your charge tonight. Sound good?" He looked at Castiel expectantly.

Castiel thought for a moment then nodded. "I would not want to overwhelm Dean. I will return later today."

Balthazar nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "There you go. I'll see you later." With that he turned to go back to his rounds. Castiel looked in the window one last time before heading out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I miss Balthazar. He may have done some questionable things when he first showed up but he was good at the end. And delightfully sassy.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys last update of the month! First things first shout out to my commenter. Bonus points to you for being a repeat commenter. 
> 
> Heads up for brief descriptions of torture/terrible conditions(Dean thinks about it, nothing major).

In his room, Dean was catching up with Bobby, Ellen, and Jo. They all seemed to be alternating between being thankful that Dean was alive and being worried about his injures. They all showed it in different ways. Ellen smiled at him, but her eyes kept flicking to his injures with a worried look. Jo visibly startled and swore when she walked in and saw his injuries, and Bobby just muttered a shocked “balls” under his breath when he entered the room, but then sat next to Dean’s bed and took his hand for a moment, noticeably relaxing when Dean was able to squeeze his fingers.

By an unspoken agreement they didn’t ask about his time there and he didn’t comment on the relieved tears he saw in their eyes. Silence settled in the room after the initial greetings and updates on how everyone was doing.

“So.” Bobby broke the tense silence. “Are you in a lot of pain?”

Ellen’s hissed “Robert Singer” at Bobby’s comment made him look a little ashamed, but Dean shrugged it off and answered anyway. “It’s not too bad. I’ve got meds and everything’s cleaned up, stitched up, and set and bandaged up, so at least it’s better than it was…” Dean trailed off as he thought about the Basement. Every wound was wrapped up but left to fester with no cleaning, and the pain from his cuts, bruises, and bones was nearly unbearable. He was so glad he was out, even if he couldn’t get Bela out too. Bela… he still couldn’t bear the thought of her dead on the rack. He really hoped the cops had gotten her out so she could at least have a decent burial. Not that she should be dead in the first place. Dean knew he would never forgive himself for letting her die, and he couldn’t get her mangled corpse out of his head. 

Jo placed her hand on his forearm, drawing him out of his guilt. She was standing near his hand while Bobby and Ellen sat on chairs on either side of him closer to his chest. She spoke up. “So I don’t know if Sam mentioned it, but we wanted to hold a party for you at the Roadhouse when you get out. I know it won’t be for a while, but do you think you’ll be up for it?”

Dean tried to flash her his best smirk, but he was sure it came across like a distorted grimace because of the pain he still felt. “Do you really think I’d turn down a party? Especially one in my honor?” He laughed a bit. “I’ll be there.”

Jo smiled and rolled her eyes. “Of course. Forgot who I was talking to there. You’re Dean Winchester and you party like a real life Tony Stark.”

That got a genuine smile out of Dean. “Damn straight. I may not be out for a while, but you better start preparing now, because I will want to do something fun when I can finally get out of here.”

At that point Ellen finally spoke up. “So when will you get out?” She gave him a serious look. “I’m not gonna bs you, this looks bad. Are you gonna be able to move around and everything? Or will you have some… restricted mobility?”

The smile left Dean’s face as he sighed. “You’ll have to ask Dr. Roche about the timeline. But he said good news is that nothing major was severed. I guess the cuts weren’t deep enough to seriously hurt any muscle or nerves. So no, no “restricted mobility” for me. See?” Dean made a point of lifting his arms as much as he could with all the bandages and gesturing to where he was wiggling his toes where they poked out of the cast on his left leg. “I can still wiggle stuff, at least, so I guess that mean’s I’ll be fine once casts are off.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, dear.” Everyone looked up as Balthazar entered the room looking at Dean’s chart. “But he is right, the only permanent damage should be more superficial in the form of surface level scar tissue. No paralysis on any part of the body.” He looked up and closed the chart. “If it wasn’t for the getting captured and tortured thing, I’d call you a lucky man.” The mood of the room darkened considerably at the mention of what happened to Dean, but Balthazar continued on as if nothing had happened. “As for when he gets out, we’ll want to keep him around to ensure everything closes up properly. We wouldn’t want him to go home only to have to come right back with an infection. But after that he’ll be free to go on the condition that he keeps everything clean, gets some rest, and comes back so we can check up on him and eventually remove the casts. How long that will be will depend on how quickly he heals, but we will have to call someone to take him home and check on him once he’s there. I’m sure someone you know can manage that.”

Ellen nodded at the doctor. “We should be able to handle that. Just give us some instructions.”

“Good.” Balthazar nodded before glancing at the clock in the room then up at all three of the guests present. “Now I’m terribly sorry to kick you out, but I’m afraid I must. My patient here should be getting as much rest as possible.” He waited for nods of confirmation from all of them then started to leave the room. “I’ll give you a moment for goodbyes, although I’m sure you and others will be back here soon.” He walked out the door with one last wave.

Everyone turned back to Dean once Balthazar was out of the room. He cleared his throat. “Well, it was good seeing you guys…”

They smiled at him. Bobby spoke up. “You too, boy.”

Jo smiled. “Also prepare to see everyone you’ve ever known. Sam set up a schedule when he was at the Roadhouse and people have been signing up for different days. I think Benny, Charlie, and Ash have tomorrow, but Garth might be tagging along too.”

Dean laughed a bit when he heard what Sam was doing. “Oh Sammy. Always the organized one.” He shook his head. He was excited to see his friends though. 

Ellen looked outside at the late afternoon sky. “Well, we probably should head out. It’s almost noon, which means Jo and I will have to man the Roadhouse. I don’t trust Ash running it with the lunch rush.” With that she stood up and Bobby followed her lead. She leaned down to kiss Dean’s forehead. “Get better kid.”

Dean smiled at her. “Aww, Ellen, are you getting sappy on me? I’m touched.” 

At that she lightly swatted his shoulder, which was mainly unharmed. “Don’t get used to it. It won’t last long, especially if you keep up that sass.” At that she and the others walked out of the room, saying their goodbyes, which Dean returned.

After they left Dean settled down to sleep, hoping that the nightmares would spare him, or at the very least that that kind nurse would be back to give him something to help him sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering why they're here and John and Mary aren't, it's because they're both dead in this AU. I may have mentioned it before, but just in case you forgot that's why. Plus the people I put in that room were a better family to the boys then John ever was. I think Mary would have been a good parent if she had a chance, but oh well. 
> 
> Also just to let you guys know ahead of time I have a family thing this Sunday (also known as Easter) so I might miss an update day. But don't worry, if I can't get it up Sunday it'll be up on Monday. Besides that updates will continue as normal.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First off thanks to everyone who's gotten this to 8 bookmarks, 22 subscribers, 48 kudos, and one hundred comments! I realize that half of the comments are me replying to comments, but 50 is still super exciting for me. Especially because there's like 5 or 6 of you who are super awesome repeat commenters. Sorry this sounds really braggy, I'm just really happy you guys are so invested in this fic.

Dean was excited to get to see his friends again. He was also nervous how they would react to seeing him, but based on their expression when they came in they’d been prepared. He’d have to thank Sam (or possibly Ellen) for that later. 

“So.” Charlie plopped into the chair on the right side of the bed, leaving Ash, Garth, and Benny awkwardly looking between themselves to decide who got the other chair. “How’re you doing?”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “How do you expect?”

Before anyone could respond with an equally snarky remark Garth broke into a dopey grin. “Look at you man, keeping your sense of humor. I’d hug you right now if I knew I wouldn’t interfere with anything.”

Benny took the other chair next to Dean, ignoring the sound of protest from Ash. “Good to see you though, brother. You had us worried for a bit there.”

“Yeah, Sam was seriously freaking out.” Charlie reached out and carefully took one of Dean’s hands before giving it a slight squeeze. “We were all so glad to hear they found you.”

Dean returned the squeeze but quickly looked away. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but don’t you guys have anything else to talk about? I already got all this stuff from Sam and Bobby and Ellen and Jo. Plus that cop. Cas-something.”

“Ooh Castiel Novak? He’s cute.” Charlie’s immediate interest got the attention of everyone in the room.

“I thought you didn’t play for that team.” Ash shot her a confused look.

She shrugged it off. “Just because I’m not interested doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes.” She turned back to Dean again. “He was waiting here the first day? He was at the Roadhouse with Sam that night. Everyone kept buying him drinks so he got super drunk.”

Dean shook his head. “Just what our group needs, to find a cop to party with.”

Benny smirked at Dean. “I bet you’d like to do more than that with him.”

“Ok! So not in the mood to talk about that now.” Dean covered his face with one hand.

“I mean he is your type. But cop or no, we’ll kick his ass if you need us to.” Benny still looked amused, but got more serious at the end.

“This is the problem with being the single friend,” Dean grumbled with his hand still over his face. He removed it than looked around the room before stopping on Ash, who was standing by the foot of the bed with Garth. “Ash! You’ve been quiet. Since you’re here in one piece I’m guessing that means you didn’t burn down the Roadhouse while Ellen and Jo were here yesterday.”

Ash scoffed. “Just because I’m usually not paying attention to things while you’re there doesn’t mean I’m never off my computer. I do other things.”

“Yeah, like flirt with Jo when Ellen’s not there.” Charlie mumbled under her breath.

“I heard that!” Ash protested. “Besides, don’t pretend you weren’t interested until you found out she was straight.”

Charlie shrugged. “Guilty as charged.” She smirked back at him, “But hey, can you blame me?”

“Oh god guys, stop.” Dean had covered his face again. “It’s like you guys are talking about my little sister.” He moved his hands and glared at them both. “So help me I will kick both your asses when I get out of here.” 

They all laughed at that, but it stopped quickly when they remembered why they were there. Garth leaned in, slipping one hand into his pocket. “So really, how are you Dean?”

Dean shifted, avoiding eye contact. “Fine.”

“Are you sure?” Garth began to slip his now-covered hand out of his pocket. “Because Mr. Fizzles can tell when-”

“Not the sock puppet, please.” Dean groaned dramatically, but he was smiling.

“How about Mr. Fizzles just tells Dean what he missed?” Charlie looked at Garth pointedly and the others in the room nodded. 

“Clearly I didn’t miss much.” Dean smiled at all of them. “You’re all still nerds and Ash’s hair still thinks it’s the ‘80s.”

“Hey, this style is classic.” Ash smoothed back his mullet. “Business in the front, party in the back.” He pointedly ignored everyone mimicking him as he said it. 

“Anyways,” Garth moved the sock puppet to make Mr. Fizzles talk, “Here’s what you missed…”

He began to fill Dean in on the events of the last week so (skipping over the parts related to what Dean went through and others worrying about him), making sure to have Mr. Fizzles do all sorts of odd voices when necessary. Everyone chimed in when they had something to add and despite the situation they were soon all relaxed and catching up and joking around like they normally would. 

At a certain point they all had to go to return for their normal lives. Charlie was the last to go, promising Dean that he could talk to her about anything (and making a parting comment about cute detectives) before one of the nurses shooed her away to check Dean’s vitals. Once he was alone again Dean settled down to rest, filled with happy thoughts of fun with friends and promises of what they’d do when he was out of the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know you're real friends when you start getting obnoxiously interested in each others' love lives. And teasing each other like siblings.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to my 2 commenters. You guys are awesome.

Uriel was still working at his desk when Hester approached that evening. "Detective James? Alistair is demanding to see you in one of the interrogation rooms."

Uriel looked up. They'd kept Alistair locked up in the station under constant surveillance until he could be transferred to jail to await trial. He was too dangerous to release, and his bail was set so high that not even Lucifer would want to pay it. Not that Lucifer wanted him out. But Uriel couldn’t let on that he knew that, or how. "What does he want with me?"

Hester shrugged. "I don't know. But we have him locked up in Interrogation Room A and he's agreed to see you without a lawyer as long as it's only you in the room. This could be our chance to get a confession." 

Uriel looked at her. He had a suspicion as to why Alistair selected him to talk to, but he couldn't let it show. "Why me?"

Hester sighed exasperatedly. "Why does it matter? If we can get a confession out of him it would make convicting him a whole lot easier. We probably wouldn't even need Castiel to waste his time getting the living victim to testify. He could go back to doing real work instead of babysitting for Michael."

Uriel thought about that. He did want his partner back so they could move on to a new case together. "Alright. I'll go see him. But wait in the hall; don't listen in."

Hester rolled her eyes, exasperation with the whole situation showing. "Alright fine. Just get the confession."

Uriel followed Hester to the interrogation room. When they arrived she stepped aside and he went in. Alistair was sitting on one side of the table with his hands handcuffed to a ring in the middle of the table. Uriel sat down on the other side. He glared at the prisoner. "Hello, scum. What do you want with me?"

Alistair smiled a sinister smile. "Now now, don't be so mean. I happen to know that we have something in common, and unless you want everyone to know your dirty little secret I have a little favor for you to do."

Uriel stiffened a bit. Would Alistair know? He didn't want to give it away if Alistair was playing him. "What do you mean?"

Alistair's smile grew wider. "Don't you know? I know that you're working for Lucifer. And unless you want all your cop buddies to know you're working for Mike's most wanted you'll do what I want you to do."

Uriel definitely did not want that getting out. "Fine," he growled. "What do you want?"

Alistair leaned back in his chair as much as the chains would allow, a satisfied grin on his face. "My charges include a few counts of murder and one of attempted murder. All I want is to finish that last job. Get him at the trial, let me loose, I finish the job and your secret stays safe. If not... well I guess we can be bunk buddies." Alistair leered at him, making Uriel feel disgusted. 

"Fine. But not a word to anyone or you might just get hit by a stray bullet." Uriel stood up. "Someone else can escort you back to your cell."

Alistair chuckled. "Alright. Great dealing with you, partner."

Uriel closed the door behind him when he went back into the hall and was immediately greeted by Hester. He was just glad she hadn't been listening behind the two way mirror.

"Well?" She looked at him expectantly. "Did he say anything useful? Anything we can use to convict him?"

Uriel shook his head. "Nothing. He wasted my time." He walked away before she could ask any more questions. He couldn't risk anyone finding out his secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another reminder that I could miss updating on Sunday because I'll be doing Easter things with my family. If I do miss it I'll be sure to update on Monday.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First things first thanks to my 2 commenters. I love seeing you guys engage with the story. 
> 
> Heads up for a bit of a time jump here. Not a big one, just a few weeks between the last chapter and this one.

Dean’s recovery was long and slow. He was lucky that most of the cuts were superficial though and hadn’t caused any serious damage to his muscles, nerves, or other systems. He would still have scars all over most of his body though. Other than that the interior problems like the concussion, broken bones, and contusions were healing well. After he had been in the hospital under constant care for weeks, Balthazar had decided he would probably be able to go home soon. Dean had started to do physical therapy to ensure that everything was working properly as soon as he was able to actually move from the bed. He was still getting frequent visitors, including Castiel.

Castiel was beginning to feel conflicted. Although his initial reason for visiting Dean had been because Michael wanted him to convince Dean to testify against Alistair, the detective was beginning to see Dean as a friend instead of just another one of Alistair’s victims and the key to putting the criminal behind bars. Although Castiel had been avoiding the topic because he did not want to pressure Dean or remind him of the trauma he so recently experienced, Michael was beginning to ask him more frequently if Dean was going to testify. Concerned about what would happen to him and his friend if Michael didn’t get an answer soon, Castiel decided he would have to ask Dean the next time they went. 

He showed up at a time he knew Dean wouldn’t have other visitors. Because he had been coming for so long, he knew the schedule Sam had set up very well. Plus, most people had had to return to their regular job schedules and couldn’t visit Dean as often as they had during the initial period of relief that he was alive. 

Castiel felt a stab of guilt when he saw Dean perk up a bit when he walked into the other man’s hospital room. That happiness would probably be gone when Castiel was done talking to Dean. The detective settled down in the chair next to the hospital bed. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey Cas.” The nickname made Castiel smile a bit as always, but his somber mood quickly returned. The change did not go unnoticed by Dean. “What’s up? You seem a little out of it.”

Castiel sighed. “Unfortunately Dean I have come here on official police business.” He looked the other man in the eye. “Chief Angelos wants you to testify against Alistair when he goes to trial, and he told me to ask if you would do it. Would you?”

At the mention of Alistair Dean’s good mood was gone just as Castiel anticipated. It took a moment for the other man to respond. “What? He wants me to what, go on the stand and tell them everything that happened?” When Castiel nodded Dean paused then continued, a little quieter this time. “Would I have to see him again?”

Although he had an idea what Dean meant, Castiel still wanted clarification. “Do you mean will you have to see Alistair again?”

Dean looked up at Castiel, now seeming a little angry. “Yes Castiel,” the detective flinched at hearing his full name in the hostile tone, “I mean will I have to see the man who did all this to me,” Dean gestured at the scars that covered his arms until mid-forearm, where the restraints had been, “if I agree to take the stand.” 

Castiel spoke up, the reluctance evident in his tone and posture. “Yes, he will be in the courtroom so you will most likely see him, but Dean you will not have to come into contact with him at all–” 

“No.” Dean’s interruption made Castiel look at him, and as soon as the detective stopped speaking Dean continued. “If I have to so much be in the same room as that monster, I won’t do it.” He looked Castiel in the eye and a note of pleading slipped into his voice. “Please Cas, you gotta understand. You saw what it was like down there. Imagine being trapped down there for days, watching someone else get tortured to death, and the whole time having that monster taunting you and narrating it.” He slumped and looked down. “I just can’t do it.”

Castiel reached out and laid his hand on Dean’s until the man looked up. “For what it's worth, I would give anything not to have you do this. But Dean, the decision came from the very top. I can’t fight this.” 

Dean’s look regained a little anger and he pulled his hand away. “Did you even try? C’mon Cas haven’t you ever fought an order before? Isn’t there another way? Didn’t you collect evidence or something else you can use?”

Castiel sighed again. “We did collect evidence, but a victim’s testimony is always viewed as stronger by juries. If you want to ensure that Alistair gets behind bars and stays there, you will have to testify. I will be there testifying as well, if that’s any comfort.”

Dean avoided eye contact. “I don’t know Cas. I want him locked up so he can’t hurt anyone again. I don’t want anyone going through what I did.” He looked up at Castiel again. “I just don’t know if I can handle it. Please, just give me some time to think it over.”

Castiel nodded. “I can do that.”

At that point they were interrupted by a knock on the door and Pamela walked in. “Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but I think it’s my turn with Dean.”

Castiel stood up and held out his hand. “It’s no problem. I don’t believe we’ve met. I am Detective Castiel Novak.”

Pamela took his hand and shook it. “Dr. Pamela Barnes. Nice to meet you.” She released his hand and turned back to Dean. “Well Winchester, are you ready to talk it out some more?”

Dean glanced over to Castiel hesitantly before replying. “I guess.”

Sensing that he was no longer needed, Castiel excused himself and left the room. He had to go report to Michael. He didn’t have anything definite, but it was progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way if anyone wants to see any scenes that would have happened between these two chapters, just leave a comment or send me a message on tumblr. I'm open to requests.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First things first thanks to my 2 commenters and the 2 people who left kudos! I can't believe this fic is up to 50 kudos and over 100 comments. I'm sorry if that sounds braggy but I just can't believe how incredible that is. Thanks to all of you awesome people!

Once Castiel had left the room, Pamela turned to Dean with a grin as she plopped down in the chair next to the bed. “Is that the detective you’ve been telling me about?” When Dean nodded she let out a low whistle and looked back to where Castiel had just left. “Damn, he’s almost too hot to look at. You could go blind staring a face like that.” When Dean laughed she looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. “What, do you not agree?”

Dean held his hands up in surrender. “No, I definitely agree. But don’t we have other things to talk about?” Since the sessions with Pamela started, Dean had begun to get more comfortable with her and had begun opening up more.

She looked at him, her expression becoming more serious. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

Dean sighed. He might as well get it over with. “Cas says that the chief wants me to go to court and testify against Alistair. I don’t think I can do it.”

Pamela straightened up in her chair. “I think the other important question is if you want to do it. It’s perfectly fine to say no because you’re uncomfortable or don’t feel ready yet. Talking about what you went through takes a lot of courage, and facing your attacker is a big step. If you really don’t want to or don’t feel like you can do this, I will back you up on it. Handled incorrectly this could be a majorly triggering experience.”

Dean fiddled with the hospital blanket covering his legs. “I get that. But the thing is, I want this guy to get locked up for as long as possible. And if this helps with that, then I feel like I should do it. Plus…” Dean looked up at Pamela. “Did I ever tell you about Bela?”

Pamela thought for a moment then looked back at Dean. “She was the woman you were trapped with, right?”

Dean nodded. “She was. And the thing is, just before she died I promised her that I would get revenge for her. I told her I would make sure that Alistair didn’t get away with it. And I feel like doing this is the best way to honor that promise. I didn’t manage to get her out, but I might be able to make sure that the man that killed her gets punished.”

There was a long moment of silence before Pamela spoke up. “While that is very noble, it is still important to consider your own mental health. You’ve been making progress, mentally and physically, and I wouldn’t want to see you back to square one because you wanted to keep a promise. But in the end, it is your decision to make and I will support whatever you end up doing.”

Dean smiled slightly at his therapist. “Thanks.” He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before looking at Pamela again. “Alright, I think I’m talked out for the day. Can we listen to music again?”

Pamela laughed but nodded her head. “We can, but I do want you to think about this Winchester. It’s a big step.” She grinned at him. “Now, how does some Zeppelin sound?”

They both relaxed as the first notes to Black Dog began to play. They spent the rest of their allotted time not saying a word, just listening to music. But the whole time Dean was thinking about if he should agree to testify or not. As much as he feared Alistair, he really didn’t want anyone else to experience what he went through. In the end, he decided that he would do it, for Bela and for Cas. He would tell the detective the next time that he saw him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points to whoever gets the season 4 reference in the beginning of the chapter. it's kinda dark humor but whatever.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First things first thanks to the 3 commenters and the 2 people who left kudos! You guys make my day.

Sam had returned to a normal work schedule again. He still went to visit Dean when he could during his lunch break, but some days it was impossible because he was in court. He was less worried now though because his brother was mainly recovered. Fairly soon Dean would even be discharged from the hospital, but he would have to continue with physical therapy and his sessions with Pamela.

Sam had liked the psychiatrist as soon as he met her. While she had quickly shut him down when he started asking questions about what she and Dean talked about during their sessions or what Dean’s diagnosis was (“Sorry Grumpy. Doctor-patient confidentiality and all that”) she reassured him by telling him that Dean was getting better but that she would notify Sam if she thought Dean was having problems she couldn’t help with. 

But so far, Dean seemed to be doing great. He was still in the hospital, but that was mainly because Balthazar wanted to be extra cautious. Dean was mostly healed and would even be getting his casts off within the next few weeks, but because the number of injuries was so high and the risk of infection from when Dean was down there so great, he was being held for observation to make sure things didn’t take a sudden turn for the worse. But physically, he was doing well. Mentally, Sam could never be sure because his brother was good at hiding things. But if Pam said Dean was doing well, he would take her word for it. 

Sam’s only real concern had been the costs of everything. Hospital stays weren’t cheap, and Dean had been there for around a month so far. Dean had insurance from his job with Bobby, but it would only cover so much. Sam and others would be more than willing to pitch in, but he still had some student loans to pay off and he knew Dean would be reluctant to accept help from anyone. Their problem had been solved when Cas had told them that the police were negotiating a deal with the hospital to cover most of Dean’s expenses. The rest would be covered by insurance and a little bit gathered by everyone at the Roadhouse (not that Dean had to know that; he’d argued enough with Cas about the police covering part of his bill). Still, that was a relief to Sam to know that neither he nor his brother would have to worry too much about the cost. 

So now Sam was back to his fairly regular schedule at the DA’s office. He’d been lucky enough to get this job practically right out of law school. He was glad because then he’d had to rely on Dean way less. While he knew his brother didn’t mind it, Sam always felt bad asking Dean for money while he was at college. Sure, the younger Winchester had worked a part time job while going to school but sometimes it just wasn’t enough. But now he was working, even if his boss was a bit of a dick. 

His boss also appeared to be headed towards Sam’s desk. Sam quickly went back to scanning the case notes he had up on his computer that he’d been ignoring in favor of zoning out. The district attorney hated it when people seemed like they were wasting time instead of doing something “to help us further our goals.” Sam smiled, thinking of how Jess had laughed at the ominous phrasing with Sam when he told her.

“Winchester. My office please.” Sam looked up into the perpetually serious face of Raphael Finnerman, District Attorney, right before the other man turned and headed back to his office. 

Sam scrambled to follow him, closing the door and sitting down when instructed.

Raphael looked at the papers on his desk before looking at Sam and pressing his fingertips together for a moment before dropping them to his lap. “I’m assuming you already know about the serial killer case we’re expected to prepare for court next month?” Sam nodded. “Good. And because I know you do your research I’m assuming you know that Lucifer usually hires the attorney Fergus Crowley to defend his men, and that Crowley usually succeeds in getting them acquitted.” He waited for Sam to nod again, then continued. “I want you on the case. We cannot let another one of Lucifer’s men go free.”

Sam was surprised to say the least. “Sir, are you sure? I haven’t been here long, surely there’s someone else–”

“Are you questioning my orders, Mr. Winchester?” Raphael’s voice and posture remained impassive, but something dangerous flickered across his face.

“No sir.” Sam quickly sat back, prepared to sit quietly for the rest of the meeting.

“Good.” Raphael shifted to be sitting back more in his seat then addressed Sam again. “I understand you have certain…personal connections to this case, but I also trust that you will not allow them to interfere with your work. If you do not remain professional, you will be removed from the case. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Sam still couldn’t quite believe the opportunity he was being offered. 

“Good.” Raphael turned back to the papers on his desk and waved a hand at Sam. “You’re dismissed. Begin looking at the information for your new case.”

Sam walked out of the door, still slightly dazed. He sat at his desk, noticing the email with the new case files but not ready to look at it yet. After looking around to ensure no one was about to ask him for any help, Sam quietly existed the room where he and the other lawyers worked and went into the hallway, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. He’d dialed Jess before he even realized it. 

She picked up after a few rings. “Hey Sam what’s up? I’m in the middle of writing an article.”

Sam plopped a hand over his face. “Raphael just offered me the Alistair case.” He slid his hand off of his face, listening to the silence on the other side of the line. “Jess, I can help avenge my brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that some of the things here aren't exactly how hospitals work, but hey. My universe my rules. Maybe they just have a significantly better and more thorough healthcare system than America (which probably wouldn't be hard honestly). 
> 
> Who thinks Sam is planning something stupid?


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First things first thanks to the person who left kudos and the two commenters. You guys are the best.
> 
> This chapter picks up right where the last one ended, so if you're confused just read the last bit of last chapter. Basically, Sam's sitting against the wall outside of the office where he works and he's on the phone with Jess. And now you probably don't need to reread anything.

“Sam? What do you mean by that?” Jess’ concern was clear.

“Raphael put me on the Alistair case.” Sam repeated. “Jess, I’ll be in court with the man who did all that to my brother. If I get an opening I could–”

“No.” Jess’ tone was firm and quickly made Sam stop talking. “Whatever stupid thing you think you should do to get revenge or whatever, don’t do it. I know you think it could be good to get revenge, but this could go colossally wrong. I won’t let you do it.”

“But Jess–” Sam’s voice was insistent but he was cut off once again.

“But nothing. Samuel Henry Winchester, you have worked too hard to get where you are today to throw it away. Seriously, if Raphael put you on the case it must mean he thinks you’re a good lawyer.” Her tone softened. “Prove him right and don’t act like an angry caveman.” 

Sam smiled a bit at the joke but still wasn’t fully deterred. “But Jess,” he could hear her eye roll on the other end of the line, “You saw what this guy did to Dean. I’ve seen the way even _Cas_ flinches at the mention of Dean being down there. It must have been terrible, and Dean wasn’t even the only victim. This guy deserves way worse than jail for life.”

“I agree, don’t get me wrong.” Jess sounded placating but returned to her argument. “But you still shouldn’t go all vigilante on him. Attacking someone in court is probably grounds for getting disbarred and definitely grounds for getting fired.”

“You’re probably right.” Sam sighed. “I know I shouldn’t do this, but still. If I’m in the same room as this guy I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay… professional.”

Jess sighed, the sound coming across oddly through the phone. “Alight, I didn’t want to do this, but here comes the big guns. Do you really think Dean would want you to do this?”

Sam straightened up, adjusting the phone on his ear. “What?”

“Your brother worked his ass off to make sure you could stay in school and go to college then law school. He’s super proud of you for getting your degree and becoming a lawyer. Do you really think he’d want you losing all that because of him?”

Sam sputtered for a moment, unsure of what to say. “It wouldn’t be because of him! I’m an adult and whatever I do is my own fault.”

“Do you really think he would feel that way?” Sam could feel her eyebrow raise. “I know you’ve known Dean your whole life and I’ve only known him a few years, but I think I know him well enough to understand him. If you risked everything and attacked this creep because of what he did to Dean, then your brother would see this as his fault and blame himself for whatever happened to you, whether it was getting disbarred or getting hurt. Do you really want to do that to him?”

“I guess not.” Sam slumped against the wall again. He let out something between a sigh and laugh before speaking again. “I guess you’re right Jess. I’ll have to keep my temper in check.”

“I am right.” Despite her words she didn’t sound too smug. “And if it helps, I’ll be there. I’m going to be covering the case for the paper. If you feel like you’re about to lose it, come talk to me when the court’s in recess. I’ll help calm you down.”

“Thanks.” Sam ran a hand over his face before starting to smile a bit. “What would I do without you Jess?”

“Hmmm.” She drew it out for a moment before continuing. “Crash and burn.” 

Sam laughed for real that time. “Right. I should let you get back to your article. Bye.”

“Bye Sam.” Before he could hang up she spoke up. “And remember, keep your cool.”

“I will. Bye Jess.” He smiled as he hung up, feeling a bit better about everything. Or at the very least, less tempted to smuggle a gun into court. Thinking of Jess to try to maintain his cool, he headed back into the office and prepared himself for a moment before opening the case files.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember where, but one fic I read the author mentioned that their headcannons for the Winchesters' full names were Dean Campbell Winchester and Samuel Henry Winchester. I like it. It was also a really cute fic that now I kinda want to find again.
> 
> Also props to whoever sees the quote from the show in here (not from season 4 this time).


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First off a little celebration for today marking officially 3 months of posting this fic! So thank you to everyone showing up here for ch. 45 and everyone who helped get this to 55 kudos, 23 subscribers, 8 bookmarks, and 134 comments! Honestly I can't believe this fic is getting so long and that it's getting so much support. You guys are awesome!
> 
> And two heads up things for this chapter:  
> A) it has Sam looking at the evidence so there will be some descriptions of torture and gore. It's about on par with the rest of the story, just figured I'd let you guys know.  
> B) Writing in **bold** is Sam and Jess texting.

Sam was not prepared for what awaited him in the case files. So far all they had was the evidence collected by the police, the statements from the officers, and the coroner’s reports. They still needed to figure out who would be testifying and when. 

The evidence collected by the police was mainly pictures. There were the pictures of the corpses that had been left around town. Sam expected those. He’d heard of the damage done to them in the news, but it was still unpleasant to see the actual pictures of the corpses. 

What was worse were the pictures gathered from the day they found Dean. Sam had asked Castiel what it was like there, but the detective had avoided the question. When Sam insisted, Castiel had told him that he hadn’t paid too much attention to the surroundings once he realized that Dean was alive and needed to be saved. What little detail Sam managed to get from either the detective or more rarely his brother sounded horrifying. He’d begun to imagine it out of pure curiosity, but what he imagined still didn’t come close. The actual pictures of Alistair’s torture chamber made Sam want to throw up. 

The basement blueprints showed three rooms. There was a small room with stairs that lead to the main floor of the house. It connected to two other rooms. The first was another small room. The pictures of that one showed that it contained a large collection of blades and knives, all precisely organized. There was also a small sink with a stack of small paper cups next to it. The notes attached said that they guessed this room was where Alistair prepared his equipment to torture his victims. It had a door connecting to the final room, which was larger than the other two and ran lengthwise along them. This was the room where Alistair had trapped, tortured, and killed his victims. Sam looked at a drawing of the layout first. It was sparse, with bare cement walls and no windows. There was one dull light that hung between the two racks that faced each other about ten feet apart in the middle of the room. On the wall to one side of the racks were the doors to the other rooms, both out of sight from the racks. 

Sam looked away from his computer for a moment. He knew the pictures of the basement would be next. He wasn’t sure he could handle this. He pulled out his phone and cautiously looked around before texting Jess under his desk. **Jess, this is terrible. I haven’t finished going through everything and I’m already disturbed by the lengths this guy went to.**

It was a moment before he got a response from her. **Is it really that bad?**

Sam glanced at the carefully designed torture chambers. **It’s worse than you could imagine.**

The buzz of his phone drew him out of his daze where he was staring at the room of carefully laid out torture devices. **Remember, you have to get through this and keep a level head. Just act like it’s any other case.**

**This would be my reaction even if I wasn’t personally involved.** Sam dreaded looking at the evidence that actually involved Dean. **Although thinking of Dean being there doesn’t help.**

Sam could imagine Jess sighing on the other end as she tried to think of a way to help him. **Just get through the day. After work find something to take your mind off of it.**

He wasn’t sure if anything would be able to help with that. Already he was sure he’d never be able to unsee the next set of pictures. **I’ll try. Will you be free if I need someone to talk to?**

**Of course.** Sam sighed and returned to work.

The next set of pictures, the ones showing the torture chamber, were worse than he expected. The first few shots showed the corpse of the victim before Dean, still attached to the mostly upright rack by shackles on her forearms and ankles. There was one general shot and a few close-ups of specific injuries. She still had the tattered remnants of a blouse and jeans on, but that wasn’t what drew Sam’s attention. Her whole body was covered in cuts and stabs and there was blood everywhere, as well as other things Sam didn’t want to think about. One of her legs was at an odd angle, probably indicating a broken bone. It was horrific. 

After that there were a general shots of the torture area. The woman’s corpse had been removed, leaving behind a filthy rack. The other rack was similarly coated in blood and other substances. Sam shuddered to think that that was from his brother. The thought of Dean down there for days, watching someone else die before nearly dying himself…

Sam switched to the next file only to see a medical report about the extent of Dean’s injuries, signed off on by Balthazar and a few of the other doctors who had been treating him. There was such a long list, all the lacerations and contusions and other injuries. 

Sam couldn’t do this. He exited out of the files and sat at his computer. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to take on this case and not try to take out Alistair himself. It was bad enough when he’d only seen how Dean was hurt. Sam didn’t know how he’d stay professional after seeing everything that Alistair had done. 

But at the same time, Sam had to keep in mind what Jess said. This wasn’t worth losing his job over. This wasn’t worth the disappointment from everyone if he got disbarred for attacking the defendant. Plus, Raphael had already implied that Sam could be taken off of the case if he didn’t behave. Sam would have to control his temper to stay on this case. And he would have to stay on this case if he wanted to make sure that Alistair got what he deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why I've written so many Sam-centric chapters lately. I only intended to write one Sam chapter here and normally I empathize more with Dean, but here we are with 3 Sam chapters. I hope you enjoyed.


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the person who left kudos and the commenter. You're the best. 
> 
> Anyways back to the main characters of this fic, with bonus Balthazar being a little shit.

Dean’s release from the hospital was a big event for everyone. Ellen closed the Roadhouse for the day and got everything ready to have a party for Dean. It wasn’t going to be very big, just friends and their significant others, but that still would end up being a fairly good number of people. Dean was excited. True, he’d seen most of these people over the past month while he’d been in the hospital, but he was still excited to finally be out. There was only one thing he was less excited about.

“C’mon Doc, do I really still need this?” He looked at Balthazar pleadingly and gestured to the cast on his leg.

The British doctor sighed. “Yes you do. However, since it was only a minor fracture in your tibia, you won’t have to have it on for much longer. You should be glad it wasn’t a worse break. Those can take far longer to heal.”

Dean raised an eyebrow and looked at his scar covered body. “Yeah, I definitely got off easy.”

Balthazar rolled his eyes. “Again with the sarcasm. But don’t worry, we’ll be out of each other’s hair soon. I believe you sent your brother to get things from your apartment?”

Dean nodded. “Yep. Sammy’s gonna get my stuff, then he’ll take me home so I can get ready for the party at the Roadhouse tonight. Are you coming?”

“Of course.” Balthazar smiled at him. “While you have been a rather annoying patient, your friends seem nice enough. Plus, it’s a party and a number of them are quite attractive.”

Dean threw a hand over his face. “Oh god, don’t hook up with my friends.”

“No promises.” Balthazar laughed but they both looked up when the door opened. “Ah, it would appear your brother is here.”

“Yep.” Sam walked in the door, followed by Castiel. “I hope you don’t mind that Cas is tagging along.”

Dean shrugged. “No problem with me. Hey Cas.”

“Hello Dean.” Cas smiled slightly at him. “I wanted to help you get settled in to your apartment.” 

“I bet that’s not all you want to do to him.” Balthazar smirked as everyone turned towards him and Dean and Cas went bright red. “And on that note, I shall return to my rounds. Make sure Dean here uses his crutches!” He waved and walked out the door.

Sam cleared his throat to break up the silence that filled the room as Dean and Castiel looked anywhere but each other. “Anyways. Dean I went by your apartment to pick up some of your clothes so you could change out of hospital issued stuff. I guess we’ll just leave the room so you can change.” He dropped the bag at the end of the bed then gestured towards the door. “We’ll just be outside handling the release paperwork I guess.” He shifted the crutches to lean against Dean’s bed so his brother would be able to reach them. “Just meet us in the hallway.”

Once Dean was alone in his room with the door closed Sam turned to Castiel. “What was Balthazar talking about?”

The detective avoided his eyes. “I am not sure. I will go find him to figure it out.” With that he turned around and left in search of Balthazar before the younger Winchester could ask another question.

Balthazar was not hard to find. Castiel found him as he was leaving a different patient’s room and dragged him down the hall a bit before shoving him into an empty room. He turned back to the doctor, who looked rather smug. “Something the matter, Cassie?”

Castiel glared at him. “What was the meaning of that comment you made about Dean and me?”

“Oh isn’t is obvious?” Balthazar grinned. “I’ve been watching you two make doe eyes at each other for practically the entire last month. So after weeks of you coming in nearly every day to sit at his bedside and just stare and hold his hand or whatever like the gentleman you are and him just sitting there starting back and smiling happily, I decided to test my theory.”

Cas’ glare intensified. “What theory?”

Balthazar’s grin grew wider. “That you two have it bad for one another. And your reactions prove it. You wouldn’t get nearly this annoyed if there was nothing there. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he began to move past the detective, “Some of the nurses owe me money and I’d like to collect. Have fun with your boyfriend!”

“He’s not my–” Cas cut himself off because the doctor was already out of earshot. He sighed and went to find the Winchesters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you wish Balthazar was still around.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! First off thanks to the two people who left kudos and the three commenters! You guys are great.
> 
> Who wants more Team Free Will?

Sam was staring after the direction Cas had gone when he heard a thump from the door behind him. He turned around and opened the door to see Dean, freshly changed into the sweats, t shirt, and hoodie his brother had brought him awkwardly balanced on the crutches with his bag in one hand and his leg in the cast held carefully above the ground. Sam quickly reached out and tool the bag. 

Dean looked around. “Where’s Cas?”

“He went to find Balthazar.” Sam smirked at his brother. “Why, worried about your boyfriend?”

The older Winchester scowled. “He’s not my boyfriend. Besides, he’s probably just embarrassed by his asshole friend.”

“That wouldn’t explain why he checks you out every time he comes here.” Sam almost laughed at the odd scowl and blush combo Dean had going on.

“He’s probably just looking at my injuries to make sure I don’t die.” Dean tried to glare at his brother but looked away instead. “Let’s just get me home, ok? I need to check on Baby.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “The car is fine Dean, I’ve been going to check on her. I’ve been giving you weekly updates, remember?”

“Yeah yeah.” Dean gave a little hand movement that was restricted by his need to balance with his crutches. “You’re not the car expert. I am. You’ve got the fancy law degree.”

Sam smiled, thinking back to his talk with Jess from earlier. “That I do.” 

At that point Cas walked up, still looking slightly flustered. “Well Dean, let’s get you back to your apartment.”

Dean nodded. “Sounds good. I miss my bed.”

Cas smiled. “I’m sure it’s very comfortable. At the very least it’s probably better than what they have here.”

“You bet it is. I’ve got memory foam.” Dean was practically preening. 

Sam rolled his eyes. “You guys can have a sleepover later. We have to get Dean ready for the big party at the Roadhouse, so let’s go sign him out at the front desk.”

Dean and Cas seemed equally embarrassed at the idea of a ‘sleepover’ but neither of them seemed able to actually comment on it. Dean sputtered incoherently for a moment before shutting his mouth while Cas just looked confused and tilted his head. Sam smirked at their reactions before heading to the elevator. They followed him to the elevator and down to the first floor, avoiding eye contact the whole time. 

At the front desk Sam finished the paperwork, leaving Dean and Cas free to talk. They stood next to each other a bit away from the desk in the empty waiting area. 

Dean shifted awkwardly on his crutches, careful not to disturb his leg. He looked around to make sure no one was in earshot before speaking up. “So Cas. About what you asked me about before…I’ll do it.”

Cas’ head whipped towards the other man. “You’re agreeing to testify against Alistair?”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “I’ll do it, I just don’t want to be around that creep more than necessary. Is there a way for me to only be in court when I testify?”

“I’m not sure.” Castiel thought for a moment. “Typically you have to be there in case either side wants to call you to the stand, but I’m sure we could arrange something for you. Especially if you are concerned about your safety or wellbeing.” 

“It’s not that…” Dean trailed off a bit. “Ok maybe a bit. You get where I’m coming from though, right?”

“Of course.” Cas shifted to face Dean, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. “Simply agreeing to appear in court takes a great deal of courage. I will do whatever possible to ensure your safety and comfort.”

Dean smiled. “Thanks Cas.”

The detective returned his smile. “You’re welcome, Dean.”

At that point Sam returned and cleared his throat, looking between the two of them. Castiel quickly dropped his hand from Dean’s shoulder and stepped back slightly. Sam thought that was odd but decided not to day anything. “Are you guys ready to go?” They both nodded. “Great. The car’s right outside.”

They walked out the doors, Sam and Cas quietly awaiting Dean’s reaction. Sitting in the parking lot in one of the spots closest to the door was the Impala. 

The older Winchester lit up at the sight of his car and hobbled over as fast as the crutches would allow. He circled around her, checking for any damage from when he was gone, and gave a satisfied nod when there was none. He looked up at Sam, clearly excited. “You brought Baby.”

Sam grinned. “Of course. I knew you’d want to see her, so I washed her and brought her here to pick you up.”

Dean smiled but then his expression went confused. “Where did you get the keys?”

“I, uh, found them in the alley by your apartment where you normally park her.” He rubbed the back of his head nervously. “You must have dropped them when you were–“

“Right.” Dean’s face went dark for a moment before lighting up again. “Can I drive?”

Cas, who had been watching Dean’s excitement with a mix of confusion and excitement, spoke up. “Dean, your left leg is broken. You would be unable to change gears.”

Before his brother could roll his eyes and respond with either a snarky comment or a possibly dangerous suggestion about how he could drive, Sam cut in. “We were thinking that I would drive. You would sit with your leg propped up in the back seat and Cas would sit in the passenger seat and make sure you were ok.”

Dean did roll his eyes then. “Fine. But you better be super careful with my baby.”

Sam laughed at his brother’s grumpiness. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this is almost at 50 chapters and already over 30k. I remember when I started this I thought it was gonna be like 10k. Course when I started this I had only written one fic (which is on here if you're interested. It's called Reconnecting and while the version on here is different from the first draft, it's still the first fic I ever wrote). Aww now I'm nostalgic. Anyways don't worry, this fic is far from over. I still have a lot planned.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the 3 people who commented last chapter. Your interest in this fic is what makes me a happy writer.
> 
> This chapter gets a bit intense.

Once everyone was settled in their seats and Sam had started the car towards Dean’s apartment, the younger Winchester looked cautiously towards the backseat. “So Raphael asked me to help with the case when it goes to court.”

Dean sat up, happiness at being in his car again quickly forgotten. He didn’t need to ask what case his brother was talking about. “No. You can’t do it.”

“What?” Sam looked surprised and a little annoyed. “Dean, I already accepted it. Taking on a case like this would be good for my career, plus I’ll get to help put away the guy who did this to you.”

“I don’t care, Sammy.” Dean crossed his arms. “Tell Raphael you can’t take the case. I don’t want you so much as in the same building as that creep.”

“Dean, I’m in court with criminals all the time. How is this any different? Besides, I thought you were proud of me being a lawyer?” Sam was beginning to look at his brother more than the road as he got angrier.

“Please focus on the road Sam.” Castiel’s concern was ignored.

“They aren’t like this. This guy is messed up Sam.” Dean’s expression was both scared and angry. “Besides, you know I’m proud of you. You don’t need to take this case to prove anything.”

“I’m not trying to prove anything!” Sam gripped the steering wheel harder. “I’m trying to put away a serial killer so no one else gets hurt.”

“Can we have this conversation elsewhere?” Castiel looked nervously between the brothers and the road. “Perhaps not in a moving vehicle that requires focus to operate?” Once again he was ignored.

“Well maybe I don’t want **you** to get hurt. Ever think of that?” Despite his concerned words Dean’s tone was angry. “You shouldn’t take this case Sam.”

“I’m not a little kid anymore. You don’t get to tell me what to do.” Sam was getting more argumentative, somehow missing how scared his brother had gotten at the thought of Alistair despite the fact that the lawyer’s focus was more on the backseat in the rearview mirror than the road ahead of them. “Besides, I can handle myself, Dean.”

“Sam, the road.” Castiel looked frantically at where the Impala was beginning to leave the lane it was in.

“I thought I could handle myself in the walk from my car to my door. Look what happened to me!” Dean shouted the last part then seemed stunned to silence by his own words. 

The whole car went painfully silent, neither person in the front seat knowing how to respond to that. Sam looked forward once more and pulled the car over, putting it in park on the side of the road. They all sat there for a bit, unsure what to say.

It was Castiel who eventually broke the silence. “If it is any comfort, you will be safe. Because we will be there to testify anyways, my partner Uriel and I will be working with the bailiffs and deputies who normally control courthouse security to ensure that Alistair is thoroughly under control. Neither of you will come to any harm.”

Sam’s head whipped towards the detective. “Neither of us? As in more than one of us will be there?” He turned back towards his brother. “Dean, was there something you’d like to tell me?”

“Well maybe there would have been, but I guess if you were working the case you would have known anyways.” His face took on a dark smirk. “What’s the matter, don’t want to hear me telling my campfire stories about my time in hell?”

Sam groaned in frustration then turned to Cas. “Tell him not to testify. I’ve seen all the evidence you guys collected, we don’t need him.”

The detective sighed. “Chief Angelos seems to think differently. He and Raphael discussed this and asked me to ask Dean.”

“It’s still unnecessary!” Sam was downright pissed now. “You and I both know that eyewitness testimony is hardly the most reliable evidence.”

“We know that, but juries don’t.” Castiel ran a hand over his face. “Michael is convinced that having Dean speak would convince the jury, especially since Alistair has managed to avoid conviction previously when no witnesses would come forward.”

“But–” Sam was clearly ready to argue enough to make his profession proud, but a voice from the backseat interrupted him.

“’Scuse me, but we do have one of those ‘unreliable eyewitnesses’ back here.” Dean waited til both men in the front seat turned towards him. “I remember everything that happened down there, in crystal clear HD, as much as I’d rather forget it. And if me taking the stand and spilling all the gory details is what it takes to make Alistair go away forever, I’ll do it. I’ll share how I got every scar on my goddamn body. I won’t want to, but if that’s what it takes for no one to have to go through what I went through, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.” He looked down as he thought of Bela’s last words and continued, his voice coming out a bit quieter. “Besides, I got promises to keep.” He sat quietly with his head down for a moment before looking up again, making eye contact with each man in the front so they could tell he was determined to do this. Dean started speaking again, more firmly than before. “I don’t want to talk about it more than necessary, but I need to make sure this guy burns.”

Another uneasy quiet settled over the car. Both Winchesters could tell that there was no way they could stop the other from going to court. If one was there, the other would want to make sure the other was ok and go anyways. They’d reached an impasse. 

Once again Cas spoke first. “While this may be something we should discuss further,” he looked between the stormy faces of the Winchesters, “I believe we are due at the Roadhouse in under an hour. Dean, we should get you to your apartment so you can get ready.”

“Right.” Sam nodded and put the car back into gear before pulling back out onto the road. “This isn’t over though.” He glanced back at the backseat.

Dean was sitting with his arms crossed. “I know. But let’s stow our crap and have a good time tonight, ok?”

The younger Winchester sighed. “Alright. Wouldn’t want to ruin Ellen’s party.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to any of you who thought the car was gonna crash. Those Winchesters just can't keep their eyes on the road while driving...


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the 4 people who commented and the person who left kudos. Also as of me posting this chapter this fic has 2000 hits, which is absolutely surreal. You guys are the best!

The rest of the drive was quiet until they reached Dean’s apartment. Sam handed Cas the keys and Dean’s bag once everyone was out of the car. “I told Jess I would pick her up. Cas, can you help Dean get ready?”

Cas nodded. “I can.”

Dean smirked. “What are you and Jess going together? You finally ask her out?”

“No.” Sam rolled his eyes. “And by the logic of driving over together means dating you and Cas would be dating. I’m just giving her a ride.”

“Oh, I think it’s a bit presumptuous to think there’ll be riding involved Sammy.” Dean smiled a bit at his attempt to break the tension between them.

“Whatever.” Sam smiled a bit back. “Why the interest in my sex life, jerk?”

“Just happy you’re getting laid finally, bitch.” Dean’s smile widened as they fell into their old teasing. “It might help you finally relax.”

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.” Sam fished his own car keys out of his pocket and started to walk to where his own car was parked around the corner. “See you guys later.”

They both responded similarly before turning to go to Dean’s apartment.

Cas opened the door, still carrying Dean’s duffel bag. Dean came over on his crutches and they both stopped for a moment, staring at the stairs that lead up to Dean’s apartment. The detective turned to the other man. “This is an unforeseen problem.”

Dean scoffed. “You’re telling me. I may be getting better with these things, but I’m not that good.” He shifted on his crutches a bit as if trying to imagine how he’d get up the stairs. “There’s no way I could do this without putting weight on my leg.”

“Which you aren’t supposed to do. Is there an elevator?” Cas looked at Dean, who shook his head. He thought for a moment. “I could carry you.”

“What?” Dean nearly fell over as he shifted to face Cas and almost lost his balance with the crutches. “Dude, I’m bigger than you are.”

“I’ve done it before.” At Dean’s disbelieving stare Cas squinted at him. “How do you think you got out of Alistair’s?”

Dean went quiet like he usually did at the mention of his time down there but shrugged. “I don’t know. I was out of it and never really thought of it.” He looked up. “You carried me out all by yourself?”

“I did.” Castiel nodded. “However, we should focus on our current predicament. What are we doing to get you to your apartment?”

“Damn Cas. Don’t skim over your accomplishments, that’s impressive.” Dean found himself trailing his eyes over Cas as if looking for all the muscle he would have expected but stopped when he realized what he was doing. “Right. The apartment.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll have to find somewhere else to stay while my leg heals too. It’ll only be a few weeks now, but still.”

“You could stay with me. If you wanted.” Cas was noticeably looking anywhere but at Dean. “I have a spare room and my building has an elevator.”

Dean thought about it. His mind quickly drifted to other things that could happen if he stayed with Cas, like seeing the detective every day. Seeing him coming out of the shower. Dripping wet with only a towel on… Dean’s mind started to wander and he only snapped out of it at the sound of the detective’s voice.

“Dean? I could tell you where I live if that would help. I presume you won’t be returning to work until after your leg is healed.” Castiel was staring at Dean oddly.

“Right.” Dean cleared his throat and tried to avoid the dirty thoughts he was just having about the man next to him. “I’m not sure Cas, I wouldn’t want to impose. I might ask around tonight, see who else has room.”

“Oh. Alright.” Dean wondered if he imagined the flicker of disappointment on the detective’s face. “Anyways, we still need to figure out how to get you up the stairs. I still think the best option would be me carrying you.”

Dean looked around. No one else was there. Would it really be so bad to have Cas carry him? He could see exactly how strong the detective was. Cas must be pretty strong. Dean began to think of other ways that strength could be put to use before realizing Cas was still waiting on an answer. He cleared his throat. “Ok. But this stays between us.”

“Whatever you wish Dean.” Cas shifted his grip on the bag. “I’ll carry your things up first so I can have my hands free. Should I take the crutches too? You could lean against the wall until I get back.”

“Sure.” Dean shifted to lean against the wall and passed his crutches to Cas. “Just leave them at the top of the stairs.”

“I will.” Castiel took the crutches and carried them up the stairs. 

Dean watched Cas go up the stairs, not realizing he was trying to get a look at the other man’s ass until he was mentally cursing the detective’s trench coat for blocking his view. Dean looked away before sighing to himself. “Get it together Winchester. You don’t even know if he’s into guys. Calm down.” Despite his words Dean got the feeling that he was already in too deep. He was definitely attracted to the detective, and he was beginning to suspect it was more than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to do more, but these idiots just kept wanting to flirt. I didn't used to get it when authors would say the characters hijacked the story, but I get it now. Dean just keeps wanting to think dirty thoughts about Cas and it's beyond my control at this point.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I can't believe this is at 50 chapters already! So thanks to everyone still reading and everyone who's helped get this to 60 kudos, 26 subscribers, 8 bookmarks, and 162 comments! You guys are awesome.

Castiel was not sure how he’d survive helping Dean get ready. Would it involve helping the other man get dressed? What if Dean wanted to shower? He wouldn’t be able to stand on his leg. He’d probably need help…

Cas shook his head. He was about to carry Dean up the stairs. Thinking of the other man shirtless or nude could create a problem if Dean was against his front when he carried him. Castiel set the crutches at the top of the stairs and moved to drop Dean’s bag on the couch nearby. Dean’s apartment was above a store rather than part of an apartment building, so they would not have to worry about getting through another door once they reached the top of the stairs. 

Dean was leaning against the wall at the base of the stairs, zoning out. Castiel cleared his throat to get the other man’s attention. “So. How shall we do this?”

“I don’t know.” Dean straightened up a little then shrugged. “How did you do it, ah, before?”

Cas thought for a moment. “I carried you with one arm under your knees and one supporting your back.”

Dean’s face went red. “You carried me bridal style?”

“I suppose that is one term for that type of carrying someone. At the time it seemed to be the best way to carry you to avoid exacerbating your injuries.” Castiel looked at Dean. “Is there another way you would prefer?”

“I don’t know man.” Dean shrugged. “Could you throw me over your shoulder or something? It’d be better than being carried like a freaking damsel in distress.”

“You are still somewhat in distress due to your injuries.” Castiel said absently as he stared at the cast on Dean’s leg. If he carried Dean over his shoulder, the other man’s bottom would be right near his face, which could be awkward. “I’m not sure if an over the shoulder carry would work. What else could we do?”

“Maybe a piggyback ride?” Dean shifted a bit staring into space as he thought. “I could just ride you up the–never mind.” Dean was blushing again as he pointedly avoided looking at Cas, who was also turning bright red. “There has to be another way.”

Castiel sighed. “I think I’ll just have to carry you like I did before.” He began to crouch down to scoop up Dean’s legs.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Dean was once staring down at Cas incredulously.

The detective realized the possible inappropriate connotations of his position and stood up immediately. “My apologies. I was going to pick you up.”

“Alright. Just give a guy a warning first.” Dean shook his arms a bit to loosen up. “Ok. I’m ready now.”

“Good.” In one smooth movement Castiel swept one arm under Dean’s legs and the other one behind his back. Once he was sure he was holding Dean securely enough and wouldn’t drop him, he began going up the stairs. 

“Hey Cas?” Dean spoke up from where he was leaning against the detective’s chest a bit. 

“Yes Dean?” Cas looked down at the man in his arms.

“We’ll never speak a word of this to anyone. Understand?” Dean looked at Cas very seriously.

“Of course.” Castiel very carefully set Dean down at the top of the stairs. 

Dean got his crutches and shifted to stand on his own. “Alright. I’m gonna…” he gestured to his room. “I’m just gonna go get dressed now. You can just hang out out here I guess.” He nodded awkwardly then went off to his room and closed the door. 

Castiel remained out in the living room area and began to look around, exploring the apartment. There was bookshelf with movies and a few books on it on one wall, a TV sitting on a small table with other electronics around it against another wall, and a coffee table with a couch and a few chairs around it facing the TV. Through a doorway was a kitchen with an eating area and to the other side was the hallway with doors to Dean’s room and what was probably a bathroom. 

What really caught Castiel’s attention were the pictures on the walls. A few he recognized as people he’d met either at the hospital when they were visiting Dean or when he went to the Roadhouse. However, there were some he didn’t recognize. He was so focused on the portrait of the young family that he didn’t notice the door opening behind him.

“Dude, are you trying to heat vision a hole in my wall?” Dean was standing next to him, changed out of the clothes they’d brought to the hospital and instead wearing jeans and a dark t shirt with a green over shirt unbuttoned over it. 

Castiel shook his head, trying not to get distracted by the sight of Dean in normal clothes rather than what he’d had to wear at the hospital. “I was merely wondering who was in this photograph.”

Dean shifted closer to see which picture Cas was talking about before turning back to the other man. “That’s my family. It’s from back before…”

“Before your mother died?” Dean looked surprised at Cas’ words, so the detective continued. “Sam told me. Or at least he mentioned it at some point. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It was years ago.” Dean shrugged, clearly wanting to avoid the subject, and turned back to the picture and raised a hand to point people out. “Well that’s my dad, John, and my mom, Mary.” He shifted a little then pointed again. “That’s me and there’s Sammy as a baby.”

Castiel nodded, unsure what to do in this situation. Luckily for him Dean spoke up again. 

“We should probably get to Ellen’s. Don’t want to keep them waiting for the guest of honor, right?” Dean smiled and started to move towards the stairs. 

“Yes, we should get going.” Castiel glanced back at the picture one more time then then began to follow Dean. “I’ll carry you down the stairs again.” 

Dean groaned. “Fine, but seriously, tell no one. Got it?”

Castiel smiled. “I understand Dean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let everyone know next week is finals week for me. I'll try to keep up my normal posting schedule but I will be busy. 
> 
> Also I know I've brought this up before but do you guys like this posting schedule or would you rather have longer chapters once a week?


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the person who left kudos and the 3 people who commented. You guys are awesome! And since people seem to be happy with this posting schedule I'll keep it as is for now. 
> 
> Fun fact for this chapter: The actress who plays Jess (Adrienne Palicki) is the same height as Misha Collins, who (as many of you might know) plays Cas.

Sam stopped at his own apartment before heading to Jess’. He knew Dean would tease him about it later, but he wanted to look his best for her. Unlike his brother he wasn’t too emotionally stunted and he could admit he had a bit of a crush on her. Every now and then he would wonder if she felt like the same (there were moments where it seemed like she definitely did), but she was also just a very outgoing and friendly person and Sam was too scared to ask. 

So here he was, standing outside her apartment in his best jeans and a nice button up. The party was at the Roadhouse so he didn’t want to dress up, but he also wanted to look nice for Jess. Before he could psych himself out he knocked on her door. 

She answered the door a moment later. Jess had her hair down and was wearing a casual blue dress. “Hey Sam.” She stepped out into the hallway and locked the door. “Ready to go?”

“You look great.” Sam closed his eyes and mentally faceplamed for a moment before looking back at Jess. “I mean, yes, I’m ready to go. The car’s out front.”

“Good to know.” She smiled at him. “And not looking too bad yourself, Winchester.” With that she took off down the hall towards the stairs, pausing to look back at him. “Well? Are you coming or do I need a different ride?”

“No, I’m coming.” He scrambled to catch up with her. “I just feel seriously underdressed is all.”

She smiled. “What, this? I’ve had it in my closet a while and I’ve just been looking for the right chance to wear it.” She struck a pose, making an exaggerated model face. “How do I look?”

Sam looked her up and down. “Amazing.”

“Stop.” Jess smiled and smacked his arm. “Thanks though.” 

“You’re welcome.” Sam stood there a moment, smiling at her.

“We should get going.” She gestured to the stairs again. “Wouldn’t want to be late to Dean’s party.” 

“Right.” Sam straightened up and started down the stairs, mentally chiding himself to keep it together.

__________

By the time they got to the party most people were already there. It was still a pretty small gathering though. Garth was there with his girlfriend Bess and they were talking to Benny and his wife Andrea. Bobby was at the bar talking to Ellen and Ash. Jo was talking with Charlie and her girlfriend Dorothy. Even Balthazar and Pamela, who had befriended members of the group during their many visits to the hospital, were there. The only ones not there yet were Dean and Cas. 

Sam went to get them drinks while Jess walked over to talk to Charlie. When she got there Jo was telling Charlie an embarrassing story from when she and Dorothy were on the soccer team together in high school. 

“Seriously, she didn’t even notice that she was about to shoot into our own goal! It’s a good thing Gwen stopped it otherwise our coach would have been so pissed.” Jo was grinning widely, clearly enjoying Dorothy’s embarrassment and Charlie’s amusement. 

Dorothy groaned. “Jo, you have to stop telling this story. This has to be the tenth time you’ve told it.”

Jo’s smile got wider. “Charlie seems to like it.”

Charlie finally stopped laughing enough to smile at Dorothy and give her a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry, I still think you’re awesome.” 

At that point Jess cleared her throat and they all turned to look at the taller woman. Dorothy let out a low whistle. “Wow Jess, you look great.”

Jo and Charlie nodded in agreement, making Jess smile. “Thanks guys.” 

“So, did you-know-who notice?” Charlie raised her eyebrows expectantly. 

Jess glanced over at Sam, who was now talking with Bobby, Ellen, and Ash. “I think so? I mean he did comment on it like twice.” She sat down next to Jo across from Charlie and Dorothy. “I’m getting tired of waiting for him to make a move though. Like he seems interested, but he hasn’t done anything yet.”

Charlie smiled sympathetically. “He’s definitely interested. You don’t even want to know how many times Dean’s come to me complaining about Sam always talking about you.”

“Yeah.” Jo nodded. “If there’s one thing that I know about the Winchester boys from growing up with them, it’s that they suck at emotions. Sam sucks less than Dean, but still.”

“She’s right.” Dorothy took a sip of her drink. “I say you stop waiting for him and just ask him out yourself.”

Jess nodded. “Thanks guys. I might end up doing that.”

“Good.” Charlie glanced over to where Sam was now making his was over with drinks. “Go get your giant puppy man.”

“Ugh, that was one time Charlie!” Jess groaned and covered her face. “I’m never drinking at office parties again.”

“What’s going on?” Sam looked between Jess and the other three women, who were all laughing. 

“Nothing!” Jess quickly uncovered her face and took one of the beers Sam was carrying. “Thanks for getting me a drink.” She twisted off the top and took a sip. 

Sam looked like he had more questions, but Jess was spared by the sound of the door opening. 

Dean came in first, carefully navigating the doorway with his crutches. A dark haired man followed a moment later, having been outside holding the door open to let Dean through. 

Jo, Charlie, and Dorothy shared a pointed look. Charlie looked at Sam. “Hey Sam, why don’t you take my seat? The three of us will go say hi to Dean.”

Sam looked between the table and his brother before looking back at the table. “Are you sure? I should go say hi to Dean.”

The three women started to get up. Jo reached up to pat Sam on the shoulder. “Nah, we wouldn’t want to overwhelm the poor dude. You and Jess just got here. You should sit and enjoy your drinks.”

“If you say so.” Sam sat down in the recently vacated chair across from Jess, missing the pointed looks and thumbs up Jo and Charlie were giving Jess while Dorothy just smiled and rolled her eyes behind his back. “So what was going on here? You seemed kinda embarrassed.”

“Just some friendly teasing.” Jess waved her hand to dismiss it. She glanced over to where everyone else was congregating around Dean near the bar before turning back to the man across from her. “Hey Sam?”

He sat up a little straighter. “Yeah?” 

“Would you want to go out to dinner sometime?” Even though she was pretty sure what the answer would be, Jess found herself crossing her fingers under the table for luck out of nervousness.

Sam’s face began to get bit pink. “I would love that. When?”

Jess smiled, feeling relieved. “Whenever you’re free. We can work out details later.”

“Sounds good.” Sam was grinning at her and Jess felt herself smiling back. 

They were interrupted a moment later by Dean. “Jesus, were you two lovebirds two busy staring at each other to come say hi? Just go out already.”

“We’re going to.” Jess looked up to Dean with a smirk.

His face lit up. “Really?” He opened up his arms, ignoring pleas to be careful with his balance on his crutches from the man behind him. “Come here and give me a hug. Welcome to the family Jess.”

Jess laughed and stood up to hug him. Sam glared at his brother from the table. “Calm down Dean, we’re going on a date, not getting married.” 

Dean glared back from over Jess’ shoulder. “Yet.” He and Jess let go and he looked back at her before glancing back to the man behind him. “Oh! Jess, I don’t think you and Cas have met.” He shifted out of the way. 

The dark haired man standing behind Dean stepped forward. “I don’t believe we have. I’m Detective Castiel Novak.” He held out his hand.

“Jessica Moore.” She took his hand and shook it. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I’ve heard much about you as well.” Cas released her hand. “Also I must say, you are very tall. Are you wearing high heels?”

Jess laughed and glanced down at her flats. “Nope. I’m just this tall.”

Dean smirked. “That’s why you’re perfect for Sammy. You’re both giants.”

Sam groaned. “Shut up Dean. You’re just mad because she’s taller than you when she wears heels.” 

“Whatever Sammy.” He looked back at the room in general. “C’mon Cas, I haven’t had booze in a month. Let’s party.” He turned and went away surprisingly fast on his crutches with the detective trailing after him, clearly ready to catch him if he fell. 

“Well those two are cute together.” Jess smiled as she turned back to Sam and sat back down.

“Don’t even get me started. You have no idea how much time I spent with just the two of them in Dean’s hospital room.” Sam took a sip of his beer before turning back to Jess. “Cas would fret over Dean, Dean would sass Cas, they’d stare when the other wasn’t looking then once the other one did make eye contact they’d just stare at each other. Not even doe eyes. Intense eye contact.” He scoffed. “Charlie called it eye sex.” 

Jess smiled and reached across the table to grab his hand and give it a squeeze. “Sounds like you need a night off as much as Dean does. C’mon.” She pulled him up from the table with one hand and grabbed her beer with the other as she got up. I bet I could talk Charlie and Garth into a dance off.”

He grinned at her. “You’re on.”

“Prepare to lose.” She grinned at him. All in all, this was turning out to be a great night. Her friends were here, the booze was free, and she and Sam were finally going on a date. Things were looking good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam/Jess was originally supposed to be more of a secondary/background pairing and not an additional plotline in this story, but I guess I underestimated how cute I thought they were.
> 
> Also before I decided Jess and the other girls would be sitting down I had the amusing image of all of them standing up to talk. She's 5'11'' and the others all seem to be normal height (around 5'4" to 5'5"), so unless they had heels on she'd be half a foot taller than all of them.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first, thanks to the 4 people who left kudos and the two people who commented! You make my finals week a bit better. 
> 
> Also a bit of a time jump for this chapter. We're now up to the trial.

The party at the Roadhouse was a great night for everyone there. Ellen had to call a fleet of cabs at the end of the night, resulting in everyone meeting up again the next day to get their cars. Surprisingly, Balthazar and Pamela were the only ones still wearing their clothes from the night before. 

Dean ended up staying with Sam until he got his cast off. Dean insisted he didn’t want to impose on his brother, but Sam said it was no problem. This proved true until after a few dates with Jess, at which point Sam began to wish he had his apartment to himself again. Luckily, Dean was gone after only a few more weeks, leaving Sam with the apartment all to himself (with the occasional exception of Jess). 

Things had settled back into a routine similar to before Dean was captured. Most people had already settled back into their regular schedules before Dean was even out of the hospital, but now everything was basically back to normal for everyone. Castiel had returned to working cases, much to the relief of everyone at the station. Dean was back to working at Bobby’s. Initially he was unsure if he’d be welcomed back after such a long absence, but Bobby had insisted that Dean return. The older man had taken to working on the cars himself to fill in the schedule gap created by Dean being gone and wanted him back so he could return to only running the business. He explained that he was too old for the hands on stuff anymore.

The only real source of stress was the rapidly approaching trial for Alistair. The Winchesters still argued about it occasionally, mainly because neither of them wanted the other anywhere near Alistair. It didn’t help that Jess and Cas would be there as well because Jess was reporting on the case and Cas going to testify. Most of their other friends had agreed not to go after seeing Dean’s expression when he asked them not to go, but Sam, Cas, and Jess had insisted that they had to be there for their jobs so Dean couldn’t convince them not to go. And any attempts on their part to talk Dean out of testifying (more from Sam and Jess than Cas, who couldn’t try for fear of Michael finding out) were unsuccessful, in part because he insisted on being there in case anything went wrong. 

So a stalemate had been reached. Due to some combination of obligation to either work or people or wanting to provide moral support, Dean, Sam, Jess, and Castiel would all be Alistair’s trial. 

__________

Elsewhere, other promises were being brought up.

Uriel had been tasked with guarding Alistair while they transported him from the prison they’d been holding him in to the jail connected to the courthouse, where he would be kept during the trial. Uriel dreaded coming into contact with the criminal again, but also couldn’t risk anyone else dealing with Alistair in case he got chatty. Uriel had secrets to keep and he didn’t trust Alistair not to share it with everyone. After all, Alistair had already broken Lucifer’s order not to kill without the command to first. Who knew what other rules he might break. 

Unfortunately for Uriel, Alistair seemed to recognize him once they were locked in the back of the van together. Castiel was in the front driving, but Uriel had closed the division between the two sections in case Alistair began to talk. He was glad he did.

“Oh look, my favorite cop.” The murderer’s smug smile and grating voice had Uriel on edge instantly, not that he showed it.

“What do you want?” Uriel maintained his usual sneer so his partner would not think anything was amiss if he looked back. “Keep your voice down.”

“What’s the matter, afraid I’ll let some secrets loose?” Alistair’s sinister grin grew wider. “Oh don’t worry, I could sing like a canary on that stand if I wanted.”

“You wouldn’t.” Uriel attempted intimidation, although he wasn’t sure how well it would work against the man who cut people up for fun. 

“You’re right. I won’t let any state secrets go.” Alistair paused, waiting for Uriel to show any signs of relief. “That is, as long as you keep up your end of the deal.”

Uriel stiffened. He’d been hoping that Alistair had forgotten. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, even Uriel could tell that Castiel was growing attached to the Winchester boy. He and the others were getting concerned about the other detective becoming distracted at work because of thoughts of his new friend. However, it hadn’t caused any problems yet so no one had commented to Michael or Naomi. “What deal?” Uriel tried to remain gruff.

“Oh, you know.” Alistair leaned forward across the gap between them, getting into the detective’s personal space. “You let me loose, I get to drop the ‘attempted’ off my last murder charge, and your secret stays safe.” He grinned, not backing away. “That deal.”

Uriel shoved him away. “Have patience. I haven’t forgotten our deal.” 

At that point the van slowed to a stop and Uriel glanced out the back windows to see that they were at the courthouse. 

As the doors were opened and the deputies showed up to escort Alistair from the van to his new cell, the murderer winked at Uriel. “Great chat, partner.” He laughed as he was led away.

Uriel stepped out of the van and was greeted by a confused look from Castiel. “What was that about, Uriel?”

The other detective shrugged. “I didn’t say a word to him the whole drive.”

“Alright.” Cas still looked confused, but shook it off. “I believe you.” With that he turned and walked back to the front of the van so they could return to the station.

Uriel sighed. He knew that trust would not last long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I suppose this is as good of a time as any to let you guys know that the warnings for this fic very much still apply. I still have at least one character death planned.


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Shout out to the 2 people who left kudos and the 3 commenters last chapter. You guys are awesome!

Sam was there bright and early the day the trial was set to start. Jess and Cas would be there as well, but Dean had agreed to only be there on the day he had to testify. Everyone was satisfied with that arrangement. Sam still wished he could have talked Jess out of being there every day, but she insisted that as a court reporter it was her job to be in court. He couldn’t really argue with that. Cas was there because he and Uriel were helping the deputies and bailiffs at the courthouse make sure Alistair was under control. 

The first day brought some surprises, including that Crowley was no longer the only lawyer working for Lucifer. Sam was surprised to see that Brady, one of his former law school friends, was now sitting with Crowley at the defense table awaiting the start of the trial. He made eye contact with Sam and did a little smirk and wave at the Winchester’s expression of surprise. 

Because they still had a while to prepare before the court session was set to begin, Sam asked Raphael if he could be excused for a moment and headed out to the hallway. The district attorney gave him permission, so Sam stood up and left the room. He saw that Brady was doing the same. 

As soon as they were out of the courtroom, Sam turned to Brady. “You’re working with Lucifer? What the hell?”

“Geez Sam, calm down. It’s not like he’s actually the devil.” Brady smiled. “What, didn’t see this coming from your first year law buddy?”

“No, actually.” Sam shrugged. “This isn’t exactly the kind of stuff you used to talk about doing.”

“Well too bad.” Brady straightened up and stared down the other lawyer. “I’m not exactly the old Brady anymore.”

Sam looked at him, confused and now slightly concerned. “But still, Lucifer?”

Brady shrugged. “Stanford wasn’t cheap. Everyone’s gotta pay the bills somehow.” He leaned in, ignoring the slight height difference between him and Sam. “And trust me, this does more than pay the bills. I’m making more from this case then you’ll make all year.” 

Sam didn’t even know how to respond to that. Was Brady trying to recruit him?

Before he could respond, Brady looked over Sam’s shoulder and let out a low whistle. “Ooh. Tall blonde in a pencil skirt headed our way. What I wouldn’t give for a night with that.”

Sam glanced over his shoulder, mainly to see what unfortunate woman was in Brady’s sights. He was surprised to see Jess. He turned back to Brady, who was still staring. “That’s my girlfriend.” 

Brady’s eyebrows raised in surprise, still looking at Jess. “Well Winchester, she looks a bit too hot for you.” He turned back to Sam with a smirk. “Look out. You turn your back and she’s mine.”

“What’s going on?” Jess arrived at that moment, looking between Brady’s smirk and Sam’s glare. 

Brady turned to her and put on a large smile. “I don’t think we’ve met. Tyson Brady, I’m a lawyer for the defense and an old law school friend of Sam’s.”

Jess cautiously shook his hand. “Jessica Moore. I can’t say I’ve ever heard Sam mention you.”

Sam glared a bit at Brady. “He’s more of a former friend really.”

“Oh, careful now Sammy.” Brady turned his attention back to Sam. “You wouldn’t want to burn any bridges. It’s so hard to get things back from fire.”

“Ok.” Jess looked between the two men, sensing the clear animosity and now more confused than before. “Anyways, we should head in. They’re supposed to start soon.”

“Right.” Sam nodded at the other lawyer. “Brady.”

Brady smirked. “May the best man win.” Sam knew he wasn’t just talking about the case. 

“Don’t worry. Everything will go as it should.” Sam stared Brady down, letting the menace drip into his voice, before turning to Jess and going back to his normal voice. “Can I get a good luck kiss before going in?”

Jess looked between the two men suspiciously before looking back at Sam. “Sure.” She leaned in and gave Sam a quick peck on the lips. 

Sam turned to Brady with a smug look. “Shouldn’t you be going in to prepare? I know you’ll need the time.”

Brady glared at Sam. “Gloating isn’t a good look on you, Winchester.” With that he turned and walked through the doors into the courtroom. 

Sam smirked and prepared to walk in before he felt Jess grab his arm. “Sam, wait.”

He turned back to her. “What’s up?”

She looked annoyed. “I better not have just been a trophy in your little posturing match with Brady there.”

“What?” Sam was taken back. “What are you talking about?”

“Really?” Jess raised her eyebrows. “Sam, I’m a reporter. I can tell when people are BSing me. Drop the innocent act. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Sam sighed. “Ok, maybe I was gloating a bit. But he was making all sorts of comments about you and being vaguely threatening–” 

“Sam, I really like you, but you’re an idiot if you think a guy like that is going to get to me.” She patted his arm. “I’m a big girl. I can defend my own honor. Besides,” she gave him a serious look, “I think you should be a bit more concerned if another lawyer can get into your head that easily before a big case. He was probably just trying to throw you off. Are you going to give him that satisfaction?”

“No.” Sam shook his head and smiled at his girlfriend. “Thanks for looking out for me Jess.”

“Someone has to.” She smiled at him. “Now come on, we should get in there.” They started heading towards the doors, but she stopped him before they could go in. “But before you get too smug, we will be talking about you acting like I’m some trophy to be fought over later. That’s not gonna fly if you want this to last.” She looked at him seriously until he nodded to show he understood. “Good. Now get in there and kick his ass.”

Sam smiled. “You bet I will.”

They went in and took their places, Sam at the table for the prosecution and Jess further back with the other reporters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact for this chapter: the guy who plays Brady is 6'2" which is way taller than I was expecting, but still shorter than Sam by a few inches.


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the 4 people who left commented. You guys motivate me to update even as I'm moving out of college for summer today.

“All rise, all rise, the honorable Justice Jody Mills presiding.” The bailiff got the attention of everyone in the room and they all stopped talking to those around them and turned towards the front as the judge entered the room. She quickly took her place and everyone returned to their seats.

“Alright, I hereby call People v. Alistair Smith to order. Prosecution, would you like to make your opening statements?” She looked at Raphael.

He stood up. “Yes your honor.”

The judge nodded. “Very well. You may begin.”

“Thank you.” Raphael nodded back at her before turning to address the jury and the courtroom at large. 

At this point Sam began to tune him out. As part of his duties with working on the case, Sam had helped with the opening statements. It was all fairly normal things. Give the basics, set the scene, the whole nine yards. After that you begin to try to present your argument to help the jury think how you want them to think; since they were the prosecution it meant a guilty verdict. 

Despite how formulaic the basics of the speech may seem to anyone who was in court a lot, Sam had to admit Raphael was doing a good job. His deep, imposing voice was good at commanding attention and a quick look around the room showed that most people were paying close attention even though most of them already knew the story of the case. The murders had been front page news for weeks only a few months ago. Sure, other things had happened since then, but nothing quite so dramatic and attention grabbing. 

Sam began to pay close attention again as Raphael was beginning to wrap up his speech. Sam could probably recite the speech himself at this point, but was careful not to start mouthing along in case it looked like he was mocking his boss during court. God knows how unprofessional that would look. It could probably hurt their case as well.

“…And that, is the case we will be presenting in court for you. Alistair Smith is a murderer and a criminal and he deserves to go to jail for life for what he has done.” With one last solemn look around the courtroom, Raphael nodded again. “Thank you.” He returned to his seat.

“Thank you, District Attorney Finnerman.” Judge Mills turned to the other side of the room. “Mr. Crowley, would you like to make any opening remarks?”

He stood up. “Yes, your honor.” 

Sam readied his legal pad and pen. He was in charge of recording the main arguments for the other side so they could more easily prepare for them and rebut them as necessary. He prepared himself as Crowley began to speak. 

Sam heard about the other lawyer before. Fergus Crowley was a very good attorney and Lucifer’s usual choice whenever any of his men actually made it to trial. Despite the police usually collecting solid evidence, Crowley always found some loophole in the law or other way to get whoever was on trial acquitted. He would pounce on any technicality or flaw in logic and use it to get the verdict he wanted. Sam secretly suspected that Lucifer himself had a hand in some of the acquittals, but he was too new to try investigating anything and he assumed it would be nearly impossible to prove anything. Who would want to testify against the worst criminal in the city?

Crowley was getting out of his opening remarks and into the actual argument, so Sam prepared himself. If the other side had good arguments, they just had to be that much better. There was no way Sam was letting the man who nearly killed his brother go free. Sam diligently listened to the opening statements and recorded anything that seemed important. 

Once Crowley was finished, Sam looked at his notes in confusion. He’d heard so much about Crowley, but the man wasn’t living up to expectations. The argument he’d presented had been halfhearted at best, or sloppy and lazy at worst. It was almost like he wasn’t trying…

Sam shook his head. There was no way that was what was going on here. If Alistair and the defense really wanted to have him get put away, they could have just had him quietly plead guilty and make a deal. He probably would have gotten some time off too. Not that it mattered when Alistair could end up getting multiple life sentences, but still. Why waste the time and resources of going to trial when the defense clearly didn’t care about if Alistair was convicted? 

Sam was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the judge call a recess so both sides could prepare their witnesses. He passed his notes to Raphael, who began to look over them.

He only required a moment to look over the notes before turning to Sam. “Mr. Winchester, be honest with me. What was your impression of the opening of this trial?”

“Well, we seemed to have a stronger opening statement.” Sam decided to start off general. He’d never been in court with Crowley before, maybe this was just some technique he was unfamiliar with.

“Yes. We did.” Raphael looked over at the other table, where Brady and Crowley were sitting with Alistair, who was still heavily restrained. The district attorney turned back to Sam. “In all the cases where I’ve gone against Fergus Crowley, he’s never had an opening statement that weak. It’s unlike him to be this sloppy.”

Sam’s confusion and concern grew, but he tried to hide it. “Maybe this is a new strategy? Or he’s decided this is a hopeless case and he’s just trying to get it over with?”

Raphael seemed almost amused for a moment before his usual stoic expression was back. “With resources like the one’s backing Crowley, it’s never a hopeless case. Something else is at play here, and we need to find out what.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone has suspicions about what Crowley's up to?


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First off thanks to all of you because I can't believe this fic is up to 2200 hits, 70 kudos, 12 bookmarks, 29 subscribers, and 192 comments! I hate making these kinds of author notes cuz it seems braggy but I'm just seriously amazed by all the support this fic is getting. Thanks you guys!

The rest of the case seemed to be proceeding much the same way as the first day. The prosecution brought whatever resources they could to get the conviction while the defense seemed to be barely trying. Raphael and Sam had worked out a long list of evidence to bring to court and what witnesses they would call and in what order. Crowley and Brady appeared to have made no such preparations. 

Sam and Raphael still hadn’t figured out what was going on. Crowley’s behavior was unprecedented. Brady still acted like he had before and tried to get into Sam’s head, but Sam had started to ignore him. The other lawyer didn’t seem to like that very much, but his annoyance was nothing compared to Crowley’s apparent indifference about the trial. He wasn’t just sitting there doing nothing while in court, but he seemed to be barely doing his job. 

For example, the first day of the trial with witnesses. The prosecution called in the coroner who had examined the corpses of the murdered women to testify about their injuries and what weapons were likely to cause them. The coroner described the types of knives likely to cause the lacerations and stab wounds, which of course matched the knives found in the other room of Alistair’s basement. They even had photographs of the knives for the coroner to identity as possible murder weapons.

Raphael handled the direct examination and everything went smoothly. However, there were a few moments where Sam would have expected objections from Crowley if the man had been living up to his reputation of exploiting every loophole or flaw in his opponent’s logic. However, Crowley stayed quiet. There were a few moments where Brady looked like he would have wanted to say something, but a quick look from Crowley made him keep his mouth shut too. 

When it was time for Crowley’s cross examination, he almost looked like he was about to turn down the opportunity, but he went forward after it looked like Brady’s head was about to explode. When he finally did stand up to ask questions after shuffling through the papers in front of him, pointedly ignoring the paper with things written on it shoved in front of him by Brady, the questions Crowley asked were not what Sam was expecting. He’d heard that Crowley had a talent for asking complex questions, ones that could throw off even the most intelligent witness. Crowley would ask many questions, sometimes trying to get a witness to say something contradictory to ruin their credibility. Some of the questions he would typically ask and certain aspects of his questioning style weren’t strictly allowed, but unless the other lawyer knew what they were doing and objected Crowley could often get away with it. 

With all of this in mind, Sam was prepared to take diligent notes so they could figure out which problems that Crowley brought up that they’d have to go back over on re-direct in order to present a better view. However, Crowley’s cross examination also didn’t live up to expectations. He asked the kind of questions anyone who was paying any attention would ask, but he didn’t go any more in depth than that. His questions were easy to follow and he stopped after only a few. It was so unlike him that even Raphael looked visibly suspicious before returning to his normal expression to do the redirect. 

This pattern continued for the other days with the other witnesses as well. The prosecution called many people to the stand, including other experts in various areas related to the case, forensics specialists who talked about how the blood found in Alistair’s basement matched the blood of the victims found around the city, a few family members to help set the timeline and get jury sympathy for the deceased victims, and finally the officers who worked the case. They were saving Dean as their last witness, so they had yet to see if Crowley would treat him differently. As both an eyewitness to one murder and the victim of the attempted murder, Dean’s testimony would carry a lot of weight and would definitely be able to put Alistair behind bars with any normal jury. If Crowley was actually going to do his job as a defense lawyer, Dean would be the witness he would most need to discredit. However, Crowley didn’t seem too intent on making sure his client went free. Sam had seen more intense cross examinations during Mock Trial in high school. 

Oddly enough, the only exception was the cross examination of Castiel. And it was only one area. Crowley seemed intent on finding out who had given the detective the tip about Alistair, but Castiel refused to divulge a name. He insisted that a condition of the information being given had been anonymity and he did not give a name no matter how many times Crowley asked. Eventually Raphael objected to the questioning on the grounds that it was irrelevant who provided the information that lead to investigating Alistair and that it was only relevant that they did investigate him. Judge Mills sustained the objection and Crowley seemed frustrated momentarily, but quickly returned to his earlier indifference. After that moment of intensity he was back to barely putting in any effort. 

Sam thought everything with Crowley was odd, but eventually chalked it up to Crowley not wanting to defend such a terrible murderer and only doing it so he could keep his job as Lucifer’s go to defense attorney. Sam knew it was a weak excuse, saying that a morally gray opportunist had suddenly developed a moral compass, but he had no other reason why Crowley was only doing the bare minimum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Crowley's still acting off. Anyone have any guesses why?


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the person who left kudos and the 2 people who commented. You guys are awesome.

Throughout the trial so far, Sam had been doing his best to ignore Alistair. He knew that if he actually paid attention to the man who nearly killed his brother, Sam would find it even harder to ignore his desire to hurt the man if not worse. Plus, Sam was there to do his job, which was helping Raphael get the conviction. He couldn’t let himself get distracted. 

Jess, however, had no such limitations. As a court reporter, she had to pay attention to everything and everyone. So one day after court had gotten out when they were at Sam’s apartment eating take out and talking about watching a movie to blow off steam a bit (with other stress relieving activities sure to follow after), Jess brought up something that she’d noticed. 

“Hey Sam, have you been paying attention to Alistair at all?” She glanced up at him with a look on her face that Sam knew meant she was thinking. 

“Not really. I’ve been focusing on Crowley mainly.” He took another bite of fried rice. “Why?”

“It’s just...” Jess took another bite of her food then shook her head. “It’s probably nothing.”

Sam was now concerned. He set down his chopsticks. “Jess, what is it?”

She sighed. “Ok so I’m not exactly an expert on Alistair, but I have seen a lot of defendants in my time as a court reporter. Most of them seem concerned or sad, some get angry or stay stoic, but with him it’s odd. It’s almost like he’s… anticipating something.”

“What?” Sam had been interested before but now he was concerned as well. “What makes you say that?”

“It’s how he acts whenever you call a witness.” Jess picked up a piece of broccoli beef and chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing and speaking again. “Every time you guys say you’re calling a witness, he perks up a bit. But as soon as Raphael says who it is, Alistair looks almost disappointed. Then he goes back to acting like he’s waiting.”

“That is weird.” Sam felt more worried now that he knew about that odd behavior, but he really didn’t want to think about what Alistair could be waiting for. He wanted to think about Alistair as little as possible, so he decided to try changing the subject. “I’m kind of getting sick of talking about the case though. Could we switch to a different topic?”

“Of course. I just figured I’d share my observations with you.” Jess looked at Sam seriously, then graciously suggested a new topic. “So what movie do you want to watch tonight?”

Sam accepted the topic change, but couldn’t fight the persistent thought that Jess was on to something. 

__________

Across town, Dean and Cas were getting burgers at the Roadhouse. Despite the comments Jo made whenever she came by their table, Dean insisted that it was not a date. Not that he would mind if it was, he just didn’t know yet if Cas would be ok with that sort of thing. Everyone (especially Charlie and Sam and sometimes Jess) had tried to talk Dean into just asking Cas out, but he kept making excuses. Dean knew he would run out of excuses eventually, but for now he was glad to be friends with Cas and didn’t want to risk losing the friendship by asking Cas out if he was straight. God knows Dean knew how awkward that could be. True, Dean didn’t think Cas was the kind of guy who’d be weird about Dean being bi, but he didn’t want to risk it. So here he and the detective were, having a totally platonic dinner for two together. Right. 

Dean looked up from his burger as Cas cleared his throat, evidently with something important to say. Dean knew Cas wouldn’t just come forward with it so he decided to prompt him. “What’s up man?”

“It’s the trial.” Cas looked reluctant, like he knew Dean wouldn’t want to talk about it, but continued anyways. “The prosecution has called all their witnesses except for you. When will you be arriving to testify?”

Dean sighed and set down his burger, not feeling particularly hungry anymore. “Sam said I was gonna go last.”

Castiel nodded. “You will be. All the other witnesses have gone. I testified today.”

“Ok. So you’re saying it’s my turn to take the stand?” Dean raised one eyebrow expectantly.

“Yes.” Castiel spoke, but he didn’t sound happy about it. “Raphael asked me to talk to you about it. He wants you to come in tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Dean thought he may have shrieked it a bit but was more concerned with the alarm overtaking him. “You couldn’t have given me more head’s up?”

“Dean, you agreed to testify over a month ago. The trial has been going on a while now, you’re aware of this.” He tilted his head to the side. “What is the problem?” He reached out a hand tentatively but pulled it back before making contact with Dean. “If safety is your concern, don’t worry. Alistair has no chance of escaping, I personally check his restraints every morning before he goes into the courtroom.”

The thought of Alistair escaping, let alone in a room full of people, terrified Dean. The monster from his nightmares allowed to hurt anyone that was there. Cas, Sam, Jess… What if he got out of the building? What if he took Dean again? Dean couldn’t go back. He… 

“Dean?” Cas’ concerned voice drew Dean out of his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

He had to calm down. Alistair wouldn’t get loose. Dean remembered what Pamela told him about focusing on breathing and counting to calm down. He let his mind wander to Bela again. The last thing she’d done before she died (besides suffer) was ask him to make sure Alistair didn’t get away with the murders and the torture. This was how he was going to keep that promise. He looked up at Cas, who seemed very concerned by now. “I'm ok.” He took another deep breath before making sure he had eye contact with the detective sitting across from him. “I’ll go in tomorrow and testify.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for Dean to testify? Alistair sure seems ready for something...


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first I can't believe this fic is up to 30 subscribers, 12 bookmarks, 73 kudos, and 204 comments! Thanks to all of you who have been reading and supporting and leaving feedback! You guys are amazing. 
> 
> Also heads up that with Dean in court the story warnings will be in effect for at least the next two chapters.

The next day, Dean was nervous. The last time he’d seen Alistair, he’d been preparing to kill Dean. Logically Dean knew that he was going to be safe and that Alistair would be contained the whole time. Cas said that he personally ensured that Alistair was restrained every day, and Dean trusted Cas. Besides, Cas was a cop. He probably knew how to effectively restrain someone. 

Dean quickly dismissed the dirty images that came up from that last thought. If there was ever a bad time, this was it. He was about to talk about being nearly murdered. Having a boner because of dirty thoughts about his hot cop friend would be a bit out of place. 

A hand on his shoulder drew Dean out of his thoughts. Standing in front of him was none other than Detective Castiel Novak himself. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey Cas.” Dean swallowed down the comments he was about to make and instead focused on the present. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping transport Alistair from the jail to the courtroom?”

Castiel shook his head. “Normally I would be, but not today. Uriel knew you’d be here today so he let me come here and provide moral support. He’ll be the one transporting Alistair today.”

All this talk of his former captor was making Dean nervous again. “Thanks man. You’re sure he can’t get out though, right?”

“Of course not.” Cas reached out and squeezed Dean’s shoulder reassuringly. “I personally shackled and handcuffed Alistair before Uriel arrived and I went to find you. I double checked everything that I would use to make sure it was strong enough so you would be safe.” He made sure the other man was looking him in the eye. “No harm will come to you under my watch, Dean.”

Dean took a deep breath and managed a weak smile at Cas. “Thanks man.” He looked nervously at the door. “We should probably head in.”

__________

Before he knew it. Dean was walking up to the stand to testify. He was sworn in and took a seat, turning towards Raphael. He could do this. Deep breaths, and don’t look over to the defense table. Dean could feel Alistair’s eyes on him, but he didn’t want to look over for fear of making eye contact and losing his courage. At least Dean had talked Sam out of being in court that day. He didn’t want his brother hearing what he went through.

“Good morning, Mr. Winchester.” Dean looked up at Raphael’s deep voice. He’d never liked the man much when he’d met him before while visiting Sammy, but Dean decided to focus on him now. 

“Good morning.” Dean calmed himself mentally. He could do this. Just answer the questions. 

“Could you please introduce yourself to the court?” Raphael was starting him off easy. 

In any other situation Dean would have made some joke, said he was an Aquarius who liked sunsets, long walks on the beach, and frisky women (and men), but now he realized he should be a bit more serious. “My name is Dean Winchester. I’m 30 years old and I work as a mechanic.”

“Mr. Winchester, did anything unusual happen to you in the last year?” Raphael looked at him expectantly.

Dean took a deep breath. So far his identity as Alistair’s last victim hadn’t been disclosed for privacy reasons, but he had to let the cat out of the bag now. “Yes. In mid-September I was walking back to my apartment after a night out when I was attacked and knocked out. When I came to I was in what I would later learn was a basement, restrained at the ankles and wrists.”

There was a collective murmur throughout the courtroom as people figured out who he was. 

Raphael spoke again, causing the whispering to cease. “What happened while you were there?”

Dean closed his eyes, giving himself a moment to prepare before launching into the whole gory story. Everyone here had already seen diagrams of his injuries along with all the other victim’s injuries and they’d heard the story before, so Dean had no reason to hold back. He took his time to make sure he got out the details. He was only interrupted by the occasional question from Raphael to clarify some aspect of his experience or to prompt him to keep going. The courtroom stayed silent as Dean described Bela, from when they met to how he saw Alistair torture her, how Alistair had carefully explained everything he did, and finally to when Dean realized she was dead. He then went on to tell of Alistair torturing him, the days of pain he would remember no matter how much he wanted to forget. He concluded by telling them about how Alistair promised to finish him off and then disappeared. “And that’s when the police showed up. I don’t remember much after Detective Novak arrived; I must have passed out from the pain or the blood loss or maybe the concussion.”

“Thank you, Mr. Winchester. I realize it must have been very difficult to tell us all of that.” Raphael looked at Dean with something close to sympathy. “I just have one more question for you. Could you please identify your attacker if he is in the courtroom today?”

“Yeah.” Dean had been pointedly not looking at Alistair the entire time he’d been in the courtroom, but he turned to look in his direction now. The murderer was staring at him with an expression Dean didn’t want to decipher on his face. Dean felt a chill run through him and he raised a hand to point at Alistair. “He’s over there sitting at the defense table in an orange jumpsuit.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Winchester.” Raphael looked towards the judge. “Your honor, the prosecution has no further questions at this time.”

“Alright.” Judge Mills looked at the defense table. “Mr. Crowley, would the defense like to do a cross examination?”

Crowley stood up. “No, your honor.”

Judge Mills looked surprised, but turned back to Raphael. “Does the prosecution have any more questions for this witness?”

Raphael stood up. “No your honor. May this witness be excused?” 

“Yes.” The judge turned to Dean. “You can step down now.” 

“Thank you, your honor.” Dean stood up in his seat, trying not to shake. It was over. He’d testified and unless something went horribly wrong, Alistair would be going to prison for the rest of his miserable life. Dean would never have to see him again. It was going to be ok. All Dean had to do was walk back to where he was sitting before and wait until the court was in recess so he could leave and never look back. 

Dean was caught up in his thoughts, not looking around him as he passed the defense table. It came as a surprise when Alistair pounced on him, knocking Dean to the ground and wrapping his noticeably unshackled hands around Dean’s throat and starting to squeeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry to do this to you guys after we had such a terrible episode this week. But in my defense I had this written before the episode aired and planned this from basically when I came up with the idea for the fic, which was probably a year and a half ago or so.


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! First things first thanks to the new subscriber, the person who left kudos, and the 5 commenters! Your interest is this fic is incredible. 
> 
> Just a reminder that the story warnings do apply for this chapter. There's more warnings in the end notes.

Chaos broke out in the courtroom after Alistair tackled Dean. Some people started screaming. Everyone was trying to find the closest exit to get themselves out of harm’s way. Unsure what was happening because he had been in the back of the room, Castiel tried to fight through the crowds practically running to the doors to get close enough to see Uriel, who had been near the front on Alistair duty. 

Uriel signaled him to go back. “Make sure the room is evacuated! I’ll get Alistair!” 

Castiel nodded and tried to make sure the civilians didn’t trample each other on the way out the doors. 

__________

Alistair, meanwhile, was not being restrained by Uriel. In the panic that followed his seeming escape, he had dragged Dean behind the defense table. His hands were still on Dean’s throat as he held him down so they would be out of view. Dean appeared to be on the brink of passing out. Alistair clucked his tongue. “Now now Dean-o, that won’t do, I’m not done with you yet.” He eased up on Dean’s throat enough that the other man wouldn’t lose consciousness. When the other man seemed slightly more able to focus, Alistair leaned in. “There, that’s better. Now you and I are gonna have a little talk before I kill you.”

Dean gasped, his eyes wide with fear. “No.”

Alistair’s grin widened. “I’d missed your pretty face looking scared and in pain; they’ve barely let me touch anyone since they locked me up.” He slammed Dean’s head against the ground, smiling gleefully at his victim’s whimper of pain. “And you deserve to be hurt for how you lied up there. How dare you say that was all me down in the pit.” He leaned even closer, tightening his grip on Dean’s throat enough that he knew the other man would have trouble focusing and then whispering in his ear. “Don’t you remember cutting into her too? Don’t you remember loving her screams of pain just as much as I did?”

“No.” Dean made a feeble attempt at shaking his head, made difficult by the tight grip on his neck. “I wouldn’t.”

“Oh, but you did.” Alistair leaned back to look Dean in the eyes, satisfied that he could get into his victim’s head so easily before he killed him; he’d missed this rush. “How else would you know everything about torture like that?” He laughed. “You were right there with me, holding the blade too.” He leaned in to whisper in Dean’s ear again. “My good little apprentice. Too bad I have to kill you now. I wish I had my blades again, but this will be much quicker. Quicker than you deserve really.” He tightened his grip on Dean’s throat once more, making sure that he was blocking the main arteries as much as possible. 

__________

Castiel’s evacuation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Sam, who looked alarmed. 

“Cas what’s going on? I got a 911 text from Jess and I was nearby so I came as fast as I could. Where’s Dean?” His alarm increased dramatically as he continued talking.

“Alistair escaped and attacked Dean. Uriel was going to get Alistair and Dean…” Castiel trailed off. He couldn’t remember seeing Dean with the people leaving. And when he looked towards the front of the room, Cas didn’t see Alistair in restraints again either. Uriel was helping Raphael evacuate the court staff into the jury chambers. “Dean!” 

Castiel ran forward the short distance of the spectator area of the court until he could see past the small barrier dividing the main courtroom from the back where everyone else sat. There he saw Alistair, who was completely unrestrained. More alarming was the sight of the nearly limp body of Dean, who wasn’t even struggling against the tight grip on his throat anymore. 

“Release him!” Castiel snarled as he charged at Alistair.

The murderer barely had time to look up before Cas tackled him and grabbed his wrists, wrestling him away from Dean. They rolled as the detective tried to get a good grip on Alistair to immobilize him enough to restrain him again. 

Alistair glared. “You again. You stopped me from finishing the job before too.” He sharply kneed Castiel in the abdomen, stunning him long enough get the detective to release his grip on the criminal’s wrists so Alistair could grab Cas’ throat. “No matter, I’ll finish you too.”

Castiel’s hands scrambled for his neck, trying to pry off the hands squeezing his throat. Anything he did just seemed to encourage the murderous glint in Alistair’s eye and make him grip harder. As Cas began to fade his eyes rolled to the side, where he saw Dean’s chest beginning to rise and fall normally again despite the painful looking red marks already showing around his throat. The other man was unconscious but alive. Castiel had saved him, even if it might be the last thing the detective did. He closed his eyes. 

He opened them again as he heard a loud whack and the pressure on his throat seemed to disappear almost instantly. As Alistair fell to the side, Castiel looked up to see Sam Winchester, holding a chair as if he had just swung it. Castiel looked up at Sam, eyes wide. “Did you just knock Alistair out with a chair?” He winced from the pain of speaking.

Sam managed to look both proud of himself and embarrassed. “Well just tackling him didn’t seem to work.”

Castiel nodded. “True.” He looked at Dean, then back to Sam. “Get help.” As Sam set down the chair and ran off to get help Castiel struggled to get up to get the shackles Alistair had been in so he could restrain him again while Alistair was unconscious. As Castiel struggled to stand using the table as support he made his way to the chair where Alistair had been sitting and where the restraints still were. The detective was surprised to find them not broken or like Alistair had slipped out of them, but unlocked. Castiel was confused. He’d been there when they’d searched Alistair; there was no way he’d had anything he could use to pick the lock on the handcuffs on his person. Castiel’s confusion was quickly cleared up, however, when he saw Alistair’s chair. Sitting on the middle of the seat was a handcuff key, with the key for the ankle shackles laying on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional warnings: This chapter features Alistair intentionally lying to Dean about what happened to mess with his head, which is known as gaslighting. If you need to skip it, it's the middle section of the chapter and really the only other thing that happens there is Alistair strangling Dean with the intent to kill him. 
> 
> If you're wondering, yes I did look up how to kill someone by strangulation for this. Turns out cutting off the main arteries to the brain works far faster than blocking the windpipe. The victim can be passed out in under half a minute and dead in less than 5. And now I feel like a murderer for knowing this and I'm not sure why I'm sharing it with all of you.
> 
> Anyways, happy Mother's Day! (Although I'm not sure if that's an international thing or just in the US. I also have no idea where most of you are from, so I guess it doesn't really matter.)


	59. Chapter 59

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First off shout out to the2 new subscribers, 1 new person that bookmarked, 4 people who left kudos, and 4 commenters. You guys are awesome. And I guess getting back to the action really has you guys hooked again, huh?
> 
> The story warnings don't really apply for this chapter, but they will definitely be in affect for the next one.

Court was adjourned for the day after Alistair was back in a cell and Dean was back in the hospital. Castiel and Sam were also checked over for injures, but Sam was unharmed and although Cas had also been attacked, his injuries were nowhere near as severe as Dean’s, so he was released quickly. He had a job to anyways. Because they had been in charge of security for Alistair, Castiel and Uriel were tasked with figuring out what went wrong, and Anna expected a report that she could pass on to Michael by the end of the day. They couldn’t let the trial get delayed. 

Castiel, of course, asked if he could go check on Dean before investigating. He already knew that Alistair had somehow gotten keys to unlock his restraints, he just had to figure out how. Besides, Cas knew he could excuse checking on Dean as interviewing him about what happened. As the victim once again, Dean would be able to say what he saw. Anna had allowed it, although Cas felt like she knew his real reasons for going to see Dean. She seemed wary of how attached he was getting but didn’t comment on it. Uriel, who seemed downright frustrated with Castiel, said he would interview Brady and Crowley. They were at the same table as Alistair, so Anna agreed that it was good to ask if they’d seen anything. 

When Castiel arrived at Dean’s hospital room, he was met by an unconscious Dean and an angry Sam, who led him out into the hallway. 

“Sam, how is Dean doing?” Cas hoped he didn’t sound as worried as he felt. 

“He’ll survive. He was freaking out when he woke up though. He was shaking, sweating, his heart rate was going so fast the doctors thought he was crashing. They sedated him, but Pamela thinks Dean could be back to square one psychologically.” Sam had remained fairly calm as he said all this, even if anger was a constant undertone to his voice as he looked in at his injured brother. As Sam turned to Cas, however, his anger rose to the surface. “So do you want to tell me how the hell a freaking murderer got loose on my brother when you promised Alistair was locked up? Dean shouldn’t have even been in court. We had a strong enough case without him testifying, and now the worst possible scenario has happened. What the hell happened in there, Cas?”

It took everything Castiel had not to physically back away from Sam because of the other man’s rage. “We’re investigating what went wrong now. This was never meant to happen, Sam.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t.” Sam’s face calmed for a moment before getting angry again. “But it still happened, and my brother is still in a hospital room now and he was still nearly killed this morning. Seriously, what the hell happened Cas?” 

Cas was relieved that Sam seemed less mad at him and more upset about what happened. He sighed. “You can’t repeat this to anyone, but I believe Alistair had a connection with someone working security.”

“What?” Sam’s expression had turned to one of total surprise. 

“This stays between us, understood?” Castiel raised an eyebrow and waited for Sam to nod in acknowledgement, then looked around cautiously to make sure no one was listening in before speaking. “The handcuffs and ankle shackles weren’t tampered with in a way that would make them break. They were unlocked.”

“Seriously?” Sam’s rage was returning. “Who the hell would release a murderer in a room full of people?”

“I don’t know. But I will find out.” With a determined look at Sam, Castiel left. 

__________

Castiel’s next stop was the courthouse. He interviewed all the bailiffs and deputies who had been working in the courthouse that day, anyone who would be working security and could have come into contact with Alistair. Most of them had had no contact with the criminal, so their involvement could be ruled out. That just left the bailiff who had been working in court that day and the deputies who provided security for Alistair’s cell and the courtroom. Castiel ruled out the bailiff because she wouldn’t have access to the keys to Alistair’s restraints. That just left him, Uriel, and the two deputies who had shifts in charge of the cells with the courthouse. However, they still had their keys. There was no way they could have gotten them back from the courtroom because Castiel kept the set he found there. The deputies also told Castiel a concerning detail: Uriel had been alone when he took Alistair to the courtroom. Normally when Castiel did it he would bring at least one deputy with him in case Alistair tried to overpower him, but Uriel had been alone with Alistair the entire time it took to lead him from the cells to the courtroom. 

As much as he didn’t want to think it, Castiel had to admit that the more evidence he collected, the more it seemed like Uriel had been the one to free Alistair, or at the very least allow the criminal to free himself. But he couldn’t draw such a conclusion yet. Castiel decided that he would hear from his partner before he made any accusations, so he called Uriel to meet him in the courtroom. 

They barely had time to exchange greetings before Uriel began speaking. “Castiel, I believe I’ve solved this case. When I spoke with Crowley, he said this whole trial was a scam. He said Lucifer made him let Alistair go to jail, but that Alistair blackmailed Brady into freeing him. We know who unleased that murderer now Castiel, so let’s go to Anna with our suspicions.”

Castiel sighed. He didn’t know how he was going to do this. “That’s an interesting theory. How do you suppose Brady got Alistair out of the restraints?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m willing to interrogate Brady to find out. We will bring him to justice for what he’s done.” Uriel seemed so sure of what he was saying.

That only made what Castiel had to do all the more painful. “Uriel, I checked those restraints myself. The only ones who could open them were the people with keys, which was you, me and the deputies. I found a set of the keys here.” He turned and looked his partner in the eye. “We’ve been friends for a long time, Uriel. We went to the police academy together, became detectives together, and have worked side by side for years. You’re like a brother to me Uriel, so pay me that respect. Tell me the truth.” 

Uriel sighed and seemed to slump a little before he straightened up, a darkly determined look on his face. “The truth is, you're correct. The only people who could free Alistair were the ones with keys. But now you know too much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone know what Uriel's gonna do next?


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys happy 4 month anniversary for this fic! And right on an even 60 chapters too wow. So in honor of that I'd like to say thanks to everyone that's been reading, as well as the 32 people who are subscribing, the 77 who have left kudos, the 13 who have bookmarked, and everyone who helped get this to 230 comments! You've made me a very happy and very grateful fic author. 
> 
> But the story's not over yet. And this is your reminder that the story warnings are in effect for this chapter.

Castiel’s eyes went wide. He’d had his suspicions, but on some level he’d hoped he was wrong. He didn’t want to believe his best friend would betray him like this. “You were the one that freed Alistair?”

Uriel shrugged, somehow nonchalant as he began to circle his partner. “I’d prefer to say I allowed him to free himself, but yes.”

“Why?” Castiel turned to face Uriel, still reeling with pain and confusion. “Why would you do that? He nearly killed two people, including me!”

Uriel sighed and stopped moving. “You were never meant to be hurt, Castiel. You must believe that.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” Castiel was glaring at his partner now. “Why did you release Alistair? Dean nearly died because of you!”

“It’s all about that Winchester boy now, isn’t it?” Uriel returned Castiel’s glare and began circling Castiel again. “He’s all you’ve been thinking about. You barely do your job you get so distracted by him.” 

“You’re still avoiding answering my question.” Castiel felt himself tensing up and turning so his back was never to Uriel. He didn’t want to fight his friend, but if he had to he would. “Why did you free Alistair?”

“It was all about Dean for Alistair too, although in a different way.” Uriel continued speaking and walking calmly, as if Castiel hadn’t interrupted. “He was obsessed with finally getting the one that got away. Lucifer didn’t even want this case to go to trial, but Alistair insisted. He threatened to tell everyone exactly what Lucifer was doing unless he got what he wanted. So with the threat of spilling all the right secrets he blackmailed a cop here, a lawyer there, until he got right where he wanted. Alistair’s plan was working perfectly. He could have finished what he started and we never would have had to worry about him again.” He stopped and looked at Castiel. “You were supposed to stay in the back of the room with the civilians.” He looked away and started to circle again. “You would have been distracted, and I would have ‘noticed’ what Alistair was doing just a bit too late. And then maybe Alistair would be killed as I tried to contain him. With what he’s done he’s going to die anyways. The trial would be over because you can’t convict a dead man, Dean would be dead but you would move on, and life would go back to how it should be.” He stopped and faced Castiel once more. “But you had to go save that pathetic mechanic. Then you had to keep digging until you were in over your head.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry to tell you this Castiel, because I really did consider us friends. Your only options now are to join me, or to die.”

“What do you mean?” Castiel felt steadily more alarmed as his friend monologued and as he started to put the pieces together. “Join you?” It finally clicked and Castiel felt the blood drain from his face. “You’re working for Lucifer, aren’t you?”

“I am.” For a moment Uriel’s calm mask broke and he actually appeared to be pleading. “Join me, Castiel, please. You can have anything you want. Any money or material goods you could want, any person that you want will be yours. And you and whoever you want will be protected. All you have to do is join me and work for Lucifer.”

For a fleeting moment, Castiel allowed himself to imagine what would happen if he said yes and agreed to work for Lucifer. He could have anything he wanted. Dean would never fall into harm’s way again. But Castiel knew that Dean would never approve of him working with a criminal like that, let alone working with Lucifer, the man who once used Alistair to punish anyone who went against him. Castiel shook his head. “I can’t join you, Uriel.” He looked his partner in the eye. “Back when we began as police officers, we swore to protect people. We swore to uphold order and justice. I won’t go back on that. I can't.” 

“That’s too bad.” Uriel passed for a moment as if he was steeling himself up for what he was about to do, then lunged at Castiel, aiming a fist as his partner’s head.

Castiel ducked the hit and allowed Uriel’s momentum to carry him into the short half wall between the main courtroom and the area where everyone else sat. When his partner turned around Castiel was ready and kicked him in the stomach. That didn’t stop Uriel, however, who shook it off then once again charged Castiel and tackled him to the ground, knocking him into the defense table and chairs along the way and sending them flying. Castiel barely had time to recover from the blows to his back and the back of his head from the furniture before his partner was on top of him, hitting him. 

“Don’t you see, Castiel?” Uriel took a swing at Castiel’s face from where he had the other detective pinned under him. “It’s all pointless. There are no innocents to protect.” Another hit. “There’re all as corrupt out there as they are everywhere.” Another punch. “There is no order amongst this chaos.” Another hit. “No values.” Another punch. “No justice.” Uriel pulled back his fist, ready to hit Castiel one last time to send him into unconsciousness but was interrupted by the click of a handgun getting ready to fire.

“Maybe. Or maybe not. But there’s still me.” Anna swung her gun and hit Uriel in the back of his head, making him pass out and fall off of Castiel. 

Castiel stared up at the head detective, a bit dazed. “Anna? Why are you here?”

She knelt down at his side, beginning to look over his injuries. “I came to see how your investigation was going. It’s getting late and I hadn’t heard from either of you, so I figured I should check in. Castiel, are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine.” Castiel moved to sit up but immediately regretted it when he felt a bit lightheaded. “Or maybe not.” He put a hand to his forehead, still in pain from Uriel using his face as a punching bag. The thoughts of his partner brought back everything that’d been said and he grabbed Anna’s sleeve from where she was holding his head to look at his injuries. “Anna, Uriel’s working for Lucifer.”

Anna sighed and dropped her hand from Castiel’s head. “I had my suspicions. It seemed like we might have had a mole on our force.” She looked him in the eye, wincing in sympathy at his bloody face. “I just wish we found out a different way that didn’t involve you getting beat up. But don’t worry, Uriel will not get away with this.” She stepped over Castiel’s legs to where Uriel was lying face down on the floor and carefully pulled his arms behind him and put him in handcuffs. “Can you walk? I’m gonna need help getting him to the car so I can take him to the station and you to the hospital.”

Castiel nodded and stood up, a bit uneasy on his feet. Nevertheless he still helped Anna take Uriel to the back of her patrol car and got in the front so she could drive them where they needed to go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gotta say, the moment I adapted and the line I stole verbatim from On the Head of a Pin is probably my favorite ever Anna moment and line. I love Anna. I wish she hadn't gotten mind controlled into going rogue so Michael could talk to Dean. (That's a simplified version of a theory I have; leave a comment if you want me to explain it.)


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First off shout out to the two people who left comments last chapter and to the new subscriber. You guys are awesome.

Castiel insisted that they took Uriel to the police station before they took him to the hospital. He didn’t want to risk his former partner waking up when Anna was alone in her car and attacking her when she had no backup. So he waited in the car while Anna took in Uriel and explained the situation. Alone in the car with nothing but the pain from his injuries to keep him company, Castiel’s mind wandered to what Uriel had said while they were fighting and before. Uriel was working for Lucifer. That was a shock, but in retrospect a lot of things made sense. Like how he knew that they wouldn’t be disturbed when they went to get Alistair. He’d said that Lucifer wanted Alistair arrested as much as they did, or something like that. Thinking back, there were other times that Uriel had seemed to know more than he probably should have. How many of his “sources” were actually Lucifer using Uriel to feed information to them? How many cases could Uriel have steered them away from the person who actually did the crime and helped them arrest a suspect who’d been set up instead? 

Castiel shook his head to clear the thoughts and winced at the dizziness it caused. He should probably get to the hospital sooner rather than later. But for now since Anna was still inside his mind started to wander again. Uriel said that this was all a plot by Alistair to get to Dean so he could kill him; that the trial only happened because Alistair was blackmailing people. That would explain Crowley’s lack of effort in the courtroom. Castiel had had to testify in other cases when Crowley was the defense attorney and this case was definitely not what he was used to. Crowley must have just been showing up and doing the minimum possible because Alistair was blackmailing him too. And it was all so that murderer could kill Dean. 

Dean, who’d been nearly killed twice now in less than three months. He’d done nothing to deserve it. Castiel felt guilty about that. He’d been the one to encourage Dean to come to court and take the stand. True, he’d been acting under Michael’s orders, but that didn’t matter. Sam was right; they’d had a strong enough case without Dean coming in to testify. Dean could have been safe at home and should have never had to see the man that nearly killed him again. Instead he was in a hospital after almost being murdered. Castiel mentally cursed himself. Why hadn’t he fought Michael harder? He knew from the start that this would be a bad idea. But he’d done it anyways, following orders just like they told him he should. He didn’t deserve to know Dean like he did. It’d all been built on a lie. He didn’t even deserve to see Dean now. He was the one that put him in the hospital. Sure, he might not have been the one who physically hurt Dean, but he was the one that put him there. He should just leave the Winchesters and their friends alone. He wasn’t worthy of their friendship.

He was dragged out of his downward spiral of self-loathing by the sound of the car door opening and closing as Anna returned. “Sorry for the wait. I had to drop Uriel off in the cells and explain why he was there. First to Michael, then to Naomi since Internal Affairs is going to have to investigate. I’d almost feel sorry for Uriel if it wasn’t his fault he was there in the first place.” She turned to Castiel. “So, let’s get you to the hospital. With that many hits to the head you’re probably at risk of a concussion.” She paused when she noticed the forlorn look on his face. “Why do you look like someone kicked your puppy?”

Castiel sighed and looked away. “It’s nothing.”

“Cas, I’m a detective. I can tell when people are lying.” She put a hand on his shoulder and waited until he looked at her. “So I’m going to ask as both your boss and your friend: what’s wrong?”

There wasn’t much he could do to avoid the question now. “I don’t deserve to see Dean. It’s my fault he’s in the hospital.”

“What?” Anna’s brows scrunched up and she tilted her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m the reason he was in court, so I’m the reason he was nearly killed today.” Castiel met her gaze, trying to convey as much sincerity as possible. “Anna, I only started going to see him because of what Michael wanted me to do. Our friendship is based on a lie and I don’t deserve to be around someone as incredible as Dean if I’m only going to cause him pain.”

“Is that what all this is about?” Much to Castiel’s surprise, Anna scoffed. “Castiel, you’ve got this all wrong. I mean yes, it could be said that Dean’s only where he is because of you, but that’s only because without you he’d be either in the morgue or buried 6 feet under already. You saved him from Alistair twice. And what’s this about your whole friendship being based on a lie? The first time you went to see him wasn’t because of Michael. It was before Michael even knew who he was. I remember that day you were late getting back to the station because you wanted to check on Dean. Even if Michael had told you to get back to normal cases, I bet you would have kept going back to the hospital in your free time to see if he was getting better. And do you know why that is?” Anna looked at Castiel expectantly.

He just shrugged. “Why?”

“It’s because you care. You care about everyone that you meet. And that’s what makes you different than just about everyone else in there.” She looked over at the station before turning back to Castiel. “Look, I may be your boss when we’re at work but I can’t tell you what to do here. If you really think you should walk away from Dean and never look back, I can tell you I think you’re making a huge mistake but I can’t stop you. But don’t you think Dean should get a say about whether you deserve a place in his life or not?”

“I’ve never thought about it that way.” Castiel sat there, thinking things through with this new filter. He didn’t think he deserved Dean, but if Anna was right maybe he wasn’t as bad as he believed. He had done some good. He’d saved Dean twice, not to mention everything else he’d done during his career as an officer and detective and at other points in his life. Plus, it would be a bit rude for him to walk out of Dean’s life without at least talking to the man. Cas didn’t want to hurt Dean, and that included the emotional pain of having a friend leave him with no explanation. And Anna did have a point about how things started between them. The first time he’d seen Dean (outside of when they met in Alistair’s basement) was of his own free will before Castiel had even talked to Michael about the case. He turned to Anna. “Thank you. I think you may be right about all this.”

Anna smiled. “You’re welcome. Now, let’s go get you checked out and then you can go talk to Dean, ok?”

“Alright.” Castiel smiled and they drove off towards the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this fic is at 50k. That makes it easily my longest fic yet and according to the stats on here about half of my total Ao3 word count. And I'm not even done yet, even though I think this will be done pretty soon.


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the new subscriber, the person who left kudos, and the 2 commenters. You guys are awesome. 
> 
> As for warning, there are mentions of death in this chapter but nothing more. I got excited writing this chapter. You'll see why.

Balthazar was the one to examine Castiel at the hospital. He concluded that the detective did in fact have a mild concussion, so he told Anna to let Castiel either not go into work for a few days or to keep his workload light so he could rest and recover. She agreed to letting him have some days off, but told Castiel he would have to come in and talk to Michael and Naomi about what happened with Uriel. He agreed, so she left to return to the station. 

Castiel sat in the exam room, waiting for Balthazar to return. His wounds had been cleaned up, but the still had a few cuts and bruises forming. But still, it could have been worse. Castiel didn’t want to think what would have happened if Anna hadn’t showed up when she did. How would Uriel have explained his partner either disappearing, dying, or showing up beaten up? What excuses would he have come up with?

Whatever he would have said, it didn’t matter now. Uriel was in custody and Castiel was getting time off to recover from his injuries. He still couldn’t believe that his partner, the man he once considered his best friend, was a traitor. Even if they’d been drifting apart in the last few months as Castiel spent more time with the Winchesters and their friends, the betrayal still hurt. 

Castiel was pulled out of his thoughts as Balthazar entered the room. He looked up as the doctor began to speak. “Well Cassie, I think you can go now. There’s really no reason for us to keep you here overnight.”

The detective nodded. “Thank you.” He slipped off the exam table and stood up, picking up his coat from where he’d left it on the table. He paused before he left the room. “Would it be possible for me to visit Dean before I leave? He was unconscious the last time I was here.” 

Balthazar glanced at his watch and sighed. “Technically, visitor’s hours are just about over. But I suppose one exception wouldn’t hurt.” He turned and looked Castiel in the eye. “Make it quick.”

“Thank you.” Castiel smiled. “Same room as earlier?”

“Yes. Now go.” Balthazar dismissed him with a wave of his hand and Castiel left, off to find Dean.

Dean was in the same room as before. He was also awake this time, but he was zoning out with a miserable expression on his face.

“Dean?” The other man’s head turned toward Castiel as he spoke.

“Hey Cas.” Dean smiled when he saw the detective in the doorway but it quickly faded away.

“What’s wrong?” Cas walked over to the chair next to Dean’s bed and took a seat. “Are you still in pain?”

“No, that’s not it.” Dean looked away and took deep breath before turning back to Castiel. “Cas, why did you save me? Why didn’t you let Alistair kill me?”

“Which time?” Castiel tilted his head in confusion. He waited for Dean to respond to his question, but the other man wouldn’t even look at him, so he continued. “I suppose technically both times it could be said I was just doing my job. A fundamental aspect of being a police officer and homicide detective is arresting killers to prevent more murders and to keep people safe.”

“Yeah but why did I get to live? Five women died because of Alistair, one while I was there, and yet here I am, still alive despite Alistair trying to kill me twice.” The machines hooked up to Dean began to beep more frantically as his heart rate increased. “Why am I alive when they’re all dead? I don’t deserve to live any more than any of them did!” He was breathing faster and beginning to shake.

“I see.” Castiel reached out and calmly put a hand over Dean’s to get the attention of the other man. “You don’t think you deserve to be saved.”

Dean’s eyes whipped towards him, pulling his hand away. “Do I Cas? Why do I get to live when five people are dead?”

Cas sighed and cast his eyes downward, putting both hands on his lap. “No one deserved to die the way Alistair killed people. I regret that anyone had to go through that.” He looked up, waiting until he had eye contact with the other man. “But Dean, you have to understand this. Those deaths are in no way your fault. If anything, Uriel and I could be to blame because it took us so long to find the cause of the murders.” A thought occurred to Castiel then. Would Uriel have known that Alistair was the one doing the killings? Surely if he worked for Lucifer he would have recognized the enforcer’s style of punishment, even if it wasn’t usually taken to such lengths. Had Uriel come forward so many people could have been spared. How had Castiel not seen the signs earlier? He sighed. “Really Dean, this is on me. If I had been doing my job better you would have never had to go through any of this.”

“Don’t blame yourself Cas.” Dean was looking at him seriously. “I’m sure you did the best you could.” He paused, looking at Castiel more closely. “Also what the hell happened to your face?”

Cas let out a weak laugh. “I’m not sure how much I can tell you, but let’s just say that I shouldn’t have trusted someone and that I now need a new partner.”

“That sucks Cas.” Dean tentatively put his hand back in reach of Castiel’s, but couldn’t quite reach the detective. “I’m sorry for making this all about me when you’ve clearly had a terrible night.”

“I believe you’ve had worse.” Castiel reached out and took Dean’s hand, squeezing gently. “And I wasn’t done earlier. I got distracted by my own thoughts.” He closed his eyes and took a moment to get his thoughts in order. _Here goes nothing,_ he thought to himself. “The reason I saved you today was not just because I was doing my job. Over the past two months I’ve gotten to know you, and it’s been more enjoyable than just about any other time in my life.” He looked Dean in the eyes. “You are so much more than just a civilian to save to me, Dean. You are the most incredible person I know. When I saw that Alistair had you today, I acted without thinking because I couldn’t bear the thought of a world without you.” He looked away. “I realize this may be a bit overwhelming, and if you want me to go I will. I just couldn’t bear the thought of you thinking you deserved whatever Alistair did to you, when in reality you deserve the best the world has to offer. But I’m rambling and should probably go now.” Castiel shifted, preparing to get up. He was stopped by Dean tightening his grip on his hand. 

He looked up to see a wild mix of emotions playing across the other man’s face, finally settling on determination. “Castiel Novak, if you leave after that I swear I will sneak out of this hospital and find you even if it kills me. Now get over here and kiss me before I climb out of this bed myself.” He started smiling, and Cas felt a mirroring expression spreading on his own face.

“Well we can’t have that.” He stepped closer the bed and leaned in, kissing Dean on the lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you get why now?


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first shoutout to the 35 people subscribing, 82 who have left kudos, 13 who have bookmarked, and everyone who's helped get this 250 comments! Seriously you guys are overwhelming me (in a good way) with the amount of support this fic is getting. Thank you!

After the kiss they agreed to go on a date as soon as Dean was out of the hospital again. It ended up taking a little while after that because Cas became busy with the investigation about Uriel, as well as his search for a new partner, which was led by Anna because she was the head detective. Eventually she offered to take over as his partner because she hadn’t had one for a while either. She was still his boss, but Michael approved them working on cases together as soon as one became available. Dean became busy again because Pamela insisted they change their sessions to more frequently than once a week like they had been since he left the hospital. So Dean was adjusting to having twice week sessions as well as his usual work schedule. Bobby had offered to let him have more time off, but Dean insisted that he wanted to return to his normal schedule. 

So here they were, one almost week since they kissed and no real date yet. But that was about to change tonight. They were both free and unlike other times during the past week, neither was too exhausted to go out. So now they just had to settle on where they would go to get dinner. Castiel called Dean after work and smiled when the other man picked up. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey Cas.” The detective could hear his smile.

“So about tonight, where do you want to go?” Cas settled down in an armchair in his apartment. “I was thinking maybe the Roadhouse.”

“Hmm.” Dean took a moment before responding. “I don’t think so. I can already imagine Jo teasing me for weeks if she saw us on a date there. She wouldn’t leave us alone the whole time we were there.”

“Alight.” Castiel tried to think of other places that he liked to go, but he wasn’t sure what Dean would like. “Do you have anywhere you’d like to go?”

“I’ve got an idea. I make really good burgers. How about you come over to my place and I’ll cook for us?” Dean’s voice was steady, but Cas could tell he was a bit nervous. 

“I love burgers.” Cas smiled. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to come over.”

“Nah, it’s no problem.” Cas heard some fumbling noises on the other end before Dean spoke again. “Ok so by my clock it’s about 5:30 now, so could you come over around 7?”

“That sounds good. I’ll see you in an hour and a half.” Cas smiled. “Bye, Dean.”

“See you later Cas.” Dean said his goodbye and then hung up the phone. 

Cas sat there for a moment before his nerves caught up to him. He was finally going on a date with Dean. What should he wear? How should he act? Should he bring something since Dean was having him over?

Unsure what else to do, Castiel pulled out his phone and sent messages to the first two people in his contact list, then sat back and smiled. Anna and Balthazar would be here any minute, and they could help him figure out what to do. 

__________

Across town, Dean was having a similar problem. He was excited for his date, but he had no idea what to do. So he called Charlie. 

Five minutes later, he saw her yellow car pull up out front from his kitchen window and he went down to let her in. “Charlie, thank God you’re here.” He gave her a quick hug as she stepped into the landing at the bottom of the stairs. “I haven’t been on a real date since I went out with Cassie, which was years ago, and I haven’t been on a date with a guy since Aaron in high school.”

Charlie smiled. “Ok first things first, calm down. This is gonna go great.” She put her hands on his shoulders. “Deep breaths, Winchester. Breathe.” When he seemed to be calming down, she took her hands off his shoulders and patted his arms. “I know you haven’t had much more than one night stands lately, but this is gonna go great. This is Cas. You can basically do no wrong in his eyes.”

“Ok.” Dean took another deep breath before turning back to Charlie. “But what should I wear? How should I act? Should I be doing anything special to get ready?” 

“Alright one question at a time.” Charlie started leading him up the stairs into his apartment. “You should act natural. This is Cas, so there’s no need to go out of your way to impress him. Besides, if you’re cooking your burgers that should be impressive enough.” She paused to look around the apartment.” It looks nice enough in here, so there’s no need to clean up. So,” she turned to him, “let’s find an outfit that works for you.”

They spent the next 20 minutes going through just about everything in Dean’s closet, with Charlie finally giving her stamp of approval to a pair of jeans that Dean thought was a little too tight (“Shut up, I bet Cas won’t mind. You should see how you look from the back in them.”) and a light pink button up he didn’t know he had (“I know it’s not your favorite color, but your eyes really pop with this.”) Charlie finally left when Dean insisted he needed time to cook, but she insisted that he called her and tell her how it went the next day. He promised he would, then went off to make the burgers as soon as she left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Dean's outfit might be inspired by Jensen at a recent con. The pink shirt really did bring out his eyes though.


	64. Chapter 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Shout out to the new subscriber as well as the two commenters last chapter. You guys are awesome.

Dean glanced up from the burgers, which were now finished cooking, and jumped when he was it was 6:50. He covered them to keep them warm then ran off to put on the outfit Charlie had picked out for him. 

Once he was dressed he returned to the kitchen so he could look out the window because it had the best view of the street so he could see when Cas arrived. He did a quick look around the kitchen to make sure everything was ready. The food was done cooking and covered to stay warm, check. The table was set, check. And there were beers in the fridge so they would be nice and cold, check. 

Dean was pulled away from his mental checklist by the sound of a car pulling up out front. He ran to the window in time to see the car stop and turn off before Cas emerged from the driver’s seat. Dean practically ran down to the front door to let Cas in, nearly tripping down the steps in the process. He took a moment to calm himself down when he heard the knock on the door before swinging it open.

“Hello, Dean.” The detective smiled at him from the other side of the entryway. He was wearing his usual trench coat over a blue sweater and black pants. Dean could feel Cas’ eyes checking him out as well, but stopped staring when the other man spoke up. “May I come in?”

“Of course.” Dean realized he was standing in the doorway, blocking it, and quickly stepped aside to let the other man in before closing the door after him. “Here, let me take your coat.” Cas handed him the trench coat and Dean carefully hung it on one of the hooks on the wall before turning back to face his date. “Well, everything’s upstairs, so…” He gestured to the stairs and started to head up after he saw Cas nod. As he led the way up the stairs he remembered what Charlie had said about him looking good from behind in the jeans he was wearing. He hoped Cas enjoyed the view. 

When they reached the top of the stairs Dean stopped and took a moment to look at Cas now that the trench coat was off. He looked great. The sweater matched his eyes and made them look even bluer. Dean realized he’d been staring a moment too long and snapped his eyes back up to the detective’s face. “You look great tonight.” He realized how awkward he came across and scrambled to cover it. “I mean you normally look great, but tonight especially. The suit is nice, but…” Dean was mentally cursing his nervous habit of rambling. “The sweater really brings out your eyes.”

Luckily for Dean, Cas just smiled. “Thank you Dean. You look very nice tonight as well.”

Dean looked away and hoped he wasn’t turning pink enough to match his shirt. “Thanks.” He glanced up to meet Cas’ eyes. “So, are you hungry? The burgers are ready and I made fries to go with them. I figured it was a good classic combo.” 

“That sounds great.” Cas smiled and gestured towards the kitchen. “Lead the way.”

As he turned to walk into the other room, Dean smirked. Maybe Cas was enjoying the view from the back. As they reached the kitchen Dean pulled out a chair for Cas at the table. “You can just sit down. I’ll bring the food to you.”

“Thank you Dean.” Cas settled in his chair and looked around the room. “It smells great in here.”

Dean smiled as he went to get the burgers, looking around for all the toppings. “That could be the apple pie I made earlier. We’ll have that for dessert.” 

“That sounds lovely.” Cas shifted in his seat. “Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

“I’m fine.” Dean poked his head around the open refrigerator door. “What do you want on your burger Cas? I’ve got lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, cheese, basically anything you could want.”

Cas shrugged. “I’m sure whatever you would normally put on yours will be fine, Dean.”

“Alright then.” Dean prepared the burgers then put them on the plates with the fries. He brought over the plates and a bottle of ketchup for the fries and set them down before turning back to the fridge to get drinks. “Do you want a beer?”

“I’ll have one.” Cas paused for a moment. “If I’m driving later I shouldn’t drink too much though.” 

Dean looked over the fridge door again. “You could spend the night here.” He flushed when he realized what that sounded like and quickly backpedaled. “I meant on the couch. Sammy’s crashed there before so it shouldn’t be too bad. I mean, I’m not opposed to you spending the night in the other sense, but–” 

“How about we just see where the night goes?” Cas cut Dean off from his rambling, looking a little pink as well. “For now, I would like to try one of these burgers.” In a quieter voice Dean almost missed he added, “I wouldn’t mind spending the night here though.”

“Alright.” Dean took two beers from the fridge before closing the door and returning to the table. He handed one to Cas before opening his and taking a long sip. “Let’s start on the burgers then.” 

They both reached out and took big bites of their burgers, and Dean was surprised when Cas let out a borderline inappropriate moan. When he looked up from his own food and met the other man’s eyes. 

Cas carefully chewed and swallowed before looking up at Dean. “These are delicious, Dean.” He took another big bite, chewing and swallowing before holding up his burger and looking seriously at Dean. “These make me very happy.”

Dean laughed a bit at that and felt some of his nervousness melt away. “I’m glad you like them Cas.” As he smiled and ate his own burger, Dean wondered why he was so nervous. Sure, he was on a date with a hot guy he really liked, but that guy was also Cas, the sometimes uptight and odd but still caring and funny guy who was quickly becoming one of Dean’s best friends, if not more. Everything was going to go fine. Dean smiled to himself, ready to relax and enjoy the night. He had Cas, burgers, beer, and pie. What more could he ask for?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how much more this story has left at this point. There is definitely one thing I still have to do though.


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the 5 people who commented last chapter. You guys are awesome and I'm glad you enjoyed Dean and Cas' awkward first date.

Dean awoke the next morning having slept better than he had in a long time. There were no nightmares, unlike many nights over the past week since he’d seen Alistair again and then nearly died. While he couldn’t be sure, he guessed the lack of nightmares might have something to do with the blue eyed detective who was still asleep with his chest pressed to Dean’s back, a leg tangled between Dean’s legs, and an arm over Dean’s waist. Despite the fact that they’d technically ended up in bed together, everything the previous night had been pretty PG-13. 

Once they both settled in a bit and started being a bit less nervous, dinner had gone smoothly. They enjoyed their burgers and talked and laughed like they normally would. After dinner they’d moved to the living room for pie and another beer each, which quickly turned to more beers and making out. Cas decided that he’d drank too much to drive, causing Dean to smile and tease him about being such an upstanding citizen, which prompted Castiel to remind him that he was in fact a police officer and it would be a bit hypocritical of him to break the law. That just led to dirty comments from Dean about what exactly he’d like to with Cas’ handcuffs. Although the mutual interest was there, Cas said he didn’t want to move too fast. Still, Dean wouldn’t agree to making Cas sleep on the couch so the detective stripped down to his undershirt and boxers (Dean refused to admit he almost got the wrong idea when he saw Cas taking off his clothes) and joined Dean in his bedroom, where the two talked and made out more and cuddled (another thing Dean would deny if asked) before they both fell asleep. Neither of them had work the next day, so they were content to stay up together and sleep in. 

Dean had just finished going mentally going through the night before when he felt the man behind him start to stir. He carefully turned around in Cas’ hold so he could face him, smiling as blue eyes blinked open to meet his. “Morning Cas.” He leaned in for a kiss.

The kiss was reciprocated before Cas pulled away to groan and rub his eyes. “Good morning Dean. Do you have coffee?”

“I do.” Dean himself wasn’t normally this cheerful in the mornings without his first cup, but seeing Cas slowly waking up, stretching, and then rubbing their stubble together as they kissed again put him in a good mood. “I’ll bring us each a cup, and I say we have leftover apple pie for breakfast.”

Cas managed a slight smile even though he still seemed groggy. “Thank you, that sounds lovely.” He sat up and eyed Dean warily as the other man started to get out of bed. “Do I have to get up too?”

Dean smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss before stretching as he stood up. “No, I’ll bring it to you.”

“Thank you.” Cas flopped back down on the bed. It was large and comfortable, and he planned on getting a little bit more sleep while Dean readied their breakfast. 

__________

Across town, Alistair was being sentenced. After Uriel’s betrayal had been discovered, new officers had been put in charge of security, allowing Cas to get a break. The trial itself had gone fairly quickly after Dean’s disastrous day in court. Crowley had done basically the minimum possible to defend Alistair. But really, even if Crowley had been committed to the case there wasn’t much room for reasonable doubt when the defendant had attempted to murder someone in the courtroom where everyone could see. Raphael even brought it up in his closing arguments, although no one really needed to be reminded of it. Afterwards to Sam he commented that committing a crime in a courtroom was probably even a better way to prove guilt than confessing to the crime.

So unsurprisingly Alistair was found guilty on all the murder charges and the attempted murder charge. It was briefly suggested that they add another attempted murder charge for when he tried to kill Dean the second time, but the idea was shot down because no one wanted to go through the hassle of getting it through all the stages necessary and possibly setting up another court date when Alistair already had no chance of ever getting out of prison. So in the end they only charged him with and found him guilty of 5 counts of first degree murder and one of attempted murder. He was sentenced to multiple life sentences with no chance of parole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have such a soft spot for sappy domestic Destiel. But after that finale (I'm still confused by everything) I think a little cute Destiel is good.


	66. Chapter 66

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! First things first thanks to the 2 new subscribers and the 5 people who commented last chapter. You guys are awesome!
> 
> Spoilery warning in the end note.

Alistair was ready for prison. He knew he wouldn’t be able to go against what Lucifer wanted and then threaten to spill state secrets and still get away without being charged with anything. So really the only thing he felt as he settled into his cell was resignation. If he was going to be here for the rest of his life with no chance of getting out, he might as well get used to it. At least he already knew some people there. 

Those people he knew included Azazel Masters. He was father of Meg Masters, Alistair’s neighbor from when he was free. Azazel had been involved with a scandal years back involving kidnapping children, which was why Lucifer let him go to jail. Both of them were really just there to set an example for the rest of Lucifer’s followers: if you step out of line, you lose your protection. 

So here they were a few days after Alistair arrived, a pair of Lucifer’s disgraced former lieutenants eating dinner together in prison. 

“So.” Azazel began, poking a fork through his unappetizing looking meal. “Murders. I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“What can I say?” Alistair tentatively took a bite then grimaced at the lack of taste. “I am who I am. Just wished I could have finished off that last one.”

“Oh yeah.” Azazel sent him a look. “I heard you threatened to spill everything just so the case would get to court.”

“I did.” Alistair glared back. “And don’t tell me you wouldn’t talk for a chance to get out of here. It was a stupid move to get you in here anyways. Kidnapping kids? Really?”

Azazel shrugged unrepentantly. “I only did it if I thought there was something special about them. Some of them could have been useful to our organization.”

“Too bad you didn’t clear it with Lucifer first.” Alistair scoffed. He looked up when the guards announced that dinner was over.

“C’mon.” Azazel stood up. “Show me where your cell is so I can find you later.”

They walked until they reached Alistair’s cell. “Well, here it is.” Alistair made a gesture to the cell. “Home sweet home I guess.”

“You have a single?” Azazel looked around cautiously.

“Yep.” Alistair popped the p sound. “Too dangerous for a roommate I guess.”

“Well that’s alright. It’s better if you’re alone.” A dangerous glint appeared in Azazel’s eye and before Alistair could process it he felt something sharp sink in between two of his ribs. Azazel leaned in, hand still holding the makeshift blade as he whispered in Alistair’s ear. “You know Lucifer hates it when people threaten to talk.” He twisted the blade, enjoying Alistair’s grunt of pain. “And that’s for threatening my daughter.” He pulled the blade out, sending a cautious look to the hallway to make sure the guards weren’t looking. Lucifer wanted Alistair dead, so everyone was supposed to just look the other way. 

Satisfied that the coast was clear, Azazel guided his former friend to the bed in his cell and made him lay down on his front to hide the rapidly growing blood stain on the front of his jumpsuit. With the job done, he returned to his own cell just in time for the doors to close. 

__________

The next day, Dean opened his door and saw Castiel standing there with an indecipherable expression on his face. The detective had asked to come over, but wouldn’t state his reason. “Hello, Dean.”

“Hey Cas.” Dean let him in and led him up to the living room, waiting for the conversation to start once they settled on the couch facing each other. “What’s up?”

Cas looked like he was unsure how to begin. “It’s about Alistair.”

Dean felt his heart stop as all the blood rushed from his face. “What happened? He didn’t escape did he?”

“No, nothing like that.” Castiel finally looked Dean in the eye. “He was found dead in his cell this morning. Someone stabbed him and he bled out overnight.”

“What?” Dean was shocked. A moment later he felt another feeling take over and was almost disturbed to realize it was relief. He almost felt bad, but not really. “He’s dead?”

“Yes.” Cas nodded. “We heard about it at the station and I figured you should know. It’ll probably be on the news soon, but I wanted to be the one to tell you.”

“Huh.” Dean sat back against the couch, looking forward instead of at Castiel. “Is it bad that I feel relieved? I mean someone’s dead so I feel bad that that’s how I feel but the dead person is Alistair so…” Dean trailed off, unsure where he was going with that train of thought.

Cas’ hand on his shoulder made him look at the detective again. “I think it’s perfectly understandable that you feel that way. He nearly killed you twice, Dean.”

Dean shifted to sit against Cas, leaning his back against the detective’s chest. “Can we talk about something else? I feel like I should save this stuff for Pamela.” He tried to make it sound like a joke, but his tone fell flat.

“Of course.” Cas leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Dean’s head. “Want to watch a movie?” 

“That sounds good. I’ll bring up Netflix.” Dean sat up to get the remote off of his coffee table and turned on the tv and dvd player, glad he sprang for one of the fancy ones with an internet connection. He needed a distraction from the thoughts of Alistair, even if he now knew that that murderer could never hurt him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of violence and a death this chapter. It happens in the first half of the chapter, but what happens is mentioned in the second half if you want to skip that stuff without missing anything. 
> 
> Also I feel like this story is coming to a close. I think next chapter will be an epilogue and that will be it (unless you want timestamps, in which case leave me a comment with what you want to see).


	67. Epilogue: 1 year later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thanks to everyone who's been reading this story, especially everyone who's subscribed, bookmarked, kudo'd, and commented! You guys are outstanding and I'm so grateful for all the support this fic has gotten! This will be the last chapter of this fic though (for now at least).

The Roadhouse was packed. The usual crowd was there, but today they had something extra to celebrate: Sam and Jess’ engagement. 

Technically, they’d been engaged for almost a month at this point. Sam proposed on their one year anniversary and, to the surprise of no one, Jess said yes. But they hadn’t been able to get everyone together for some time after that. But now here they were at the Roadhouse, with everyone having come straight from work and now slowly but surely getting wasted on the best Ellen had to offer, glad that for tonight everything was on the house.

It seemed like their group were going to have a lot of milestones over the next year. Benny and Andrea, the first ones in the group to be married, were already expecting their first kid. Garth had finally proposed to Bess, which was years in the making since they’d been dating since college. Dorothy and Charlie were already splitting holidays between their families, so everyone had assumed they’d be the next to get engaged, but Sam and Jess beat them to it. There was still speculation about the two women finally tying the knot though. As for the only remaining singles in the group, everyone was already making bets on whether Ellen and Bobby or Jo and Ash would start dating first. 

That just left Dean and Castiel. Everyone knew their one year mark was rapidly approaching, but the two of them were more private. Even their PDA usually just consisted of hand holding, an arm around the other’s shoulders or waist, and maybe a peck on the lips occasionally. Unless one or both of them got drunk. Then it got mentally scarring for anyone around them. But unbeknownst to the group progress was being made. These days one of them spent the night at the other’s apartment more often than not. Both of them had enough things at the other’s apartment already to make it work. 

But tonight Dean decided he wanted to make a step forward. He was going to ask Cas if he wanted to move in together. 

He waited until the party was winding down. Throughout the night he’d been making sure that neither he nor Cas drank too much because he wanted his boyfriend to be thinking clearly when he asked. True, he and Cas could outdrink most of the people there so he didn’t have to be too worried, but he still lead the detective away from the bar and to a booth after a few drinks. 

As was often the case, Cas seemed to sense that something was going on. He was a little looser than normal because of the booze, but his blue eyes were still sharp as he searched Dean’s face. “Hello, Dean.”

Dean smiled. “Hey babe.”

Cas preened a bit at the pet name before looking back at Dean. “What’s up? Normally you’d still be at the bar telling stories to embarrass everyone at this point.”

“I have something I wanted to talk to you about.” Dean looked around the room before making eye contact again. “Cas,” he took a deep breath, “do you want to move in together?”

“Of course.” Cas smiled at him. “Should we live at your place or mine? Or should we find a new apartment?”

Dean was sitting there stunned by how easy that was. “Umm… honestly I hadn’t thought it out beyond asking you.”

“We’ll have to talk about it.” Cas was now deep in thought. “Unless we go for a new apartment we’ll be closer to where one of us works than where the other works. We’ll need room for both of our cars, and there are a number of other people and places we’d probably like to be near.” He paused and looked at Dean. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to have?”

“I don’t know.” Dean thought for a moment. “We’re keeping my bed since it’s more comfortable. I need a good parking spot for baby. And I wouldn’t mind a shower that fits both of us.” He sent Cas a smirk and was satisfied when he saw that Cas clearly picked up on his train of thought. 

Cas got a solemn look. “We should test both of our showers to see which one is better. Which has more room.” At the end his pokerfaced slipped and he smiled. 

Dean grinned right back. “I say after this we go back to my place and try mine.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Cas, unable to contain himself, reached across the table to grab Dean’s shirt and pull him closer. They met over the middle of the table in a kiss.

They ignored the shouts from the bar as everyone noticed the PDA was starting. Sam groaned the loudest. “Dean if you want to be my best man you better not get handsy with your boyfriend at my wedding!”

Dean’s only response was to flip him off. 

They did break it up though, after Ellen threatened to kick them out of the bar if they didn’t stop making out on her table. 

They finally made it out of the bar and Dean lead Cas to the Impala. As they got into the car Cas shot Dean a look. “Are you sure you’re good to drive?”

Dean smiled. “Yeah, I’m good. I took it easy so I’d be sober enough to ask you to move in.” He turned and raised an eyebrow at Cas. “Why do you always ask that?”

“One, because I’m a police officer so it’s kind of my job.” Cas sent Dean an unimpressed look which was met with a shrug. “And two because drunk driving is dangerous and I don’t want you getting hurt.” Cas reached out and put a hand over Dean’s, smiling. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Dean smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Once they separated he started the car. “Let’s get going. You bringing up the cop thing reminded me of that time we used your handcuffs and I really want to try that again.”

Cas laughed as they left the parking lot and headed towards Dean’s apartment. He also carefully checked his pockets to make sure he had his handcuffs though, smiling when he found them. They were in for a fun night indeed, hopefully one of many as they prepared to move in together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I've said before feel free to leave a comment with anything that you'd like to see in a timestamp. I don't think I could write smut but besides that I'm open to ideas. If there is anything else for this fic it probably won't be for a while though.
> 
> Anyways I have some other stuff written so that'll probably go up sometime next week. In the meantime feel free to check out my other stuff. Everything else combined is about the length of this fic, so if you want something else that's shorter feel free to take a peek.


	68. Timestamp 1: Moving in Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! I know it's been a few months since this fic finished but I'm back with timestamp #1. Just about everyone that commented wanted more domestic Destiel, so here's a fluffy timestamp for all of you. 
> 
> Also once again, thanks to everyone that's read, kudo'd, commented, subscribed, and bookmarked. You're awesome. I can't believe this has over 3000 hits already. That's just ridiculous. (But I like it).

Finding an apartment was not easy. They both had a lot of qualities they needed it to have. Dean wanted a good kitchen and a spot to park the Impala where his baby wouldn’t get damaged. Cas wanted a spacious apartment that also had good security. They both wanted one that had an open floorplan and a big bedroom and bathroom. Neither of them wanted to compromise on anything. Since a portion of both their salaries could go to rent now, they figured they could get a nicer place than either of them had on their own. 

They kept both of their apartments while they searched, even though they spent most nights together. They couldn’t decide which one they liked more, so they decided to look around first. 

The first place they looked at was part of a small apartment building that was a good distance from both of their workplaces. It had a small kitchen, which Dean didn’t like, but it did have a covered, designated space to park the Impala, which made him happy. Cas, however, was less impressed. 

“Is everything here up to code?” Castiel stared down the dripping bathroom faucet, looking like he expected something to crawl out of it. 

The landlord, who’d introduced himself as Marv Metatron when they came to see the apartment, didn’t let his phony smile waver. “There shouldn’t be any problems, but we haven’t given it a thorough check since the last resident moved out. There may be a need for minor repairs.”

Cas turned to face the shorter man, straightening up a bit in a way that Dean knew meant that his boyfriend was getting irritated. “You say that there are no major flaws with this building or this specific apartment?”

Marv was beginning to look nervous. “There shouldn’t be. I can’t promise that past tenants have cared for things as they should have, though.”

“Really.” Cas’ eyes narrowed and Dean could tell he was getting into interrogation mode. The detective continued. “You are aware that it is your duty as a property owner to ensure that the facilities are properly maintained, correct?”

“Yes?” The landlord was visibly nervous now and his response came out like a question. 

“So you would be prepared if there was an inspection of the property?” Cas was beginning to lean into the other man’s space, which seemed more imposing given that they were in the already confined space of the bathroom. 

Marv seemed like he was nearly ready to wet himself so Dean decided to intervene. “Alright then, as fun as this has been we should really get going. Cas, let’s head on out.” He grabbed his boyfriend by the arm and dragged him away, not stopping until they were on the landing outside the apartment with the door closed. Dean turned around with a frown. “What was that about Cas? You terrified that guy!”

“He was clearly pretending.” Cas scoffed. “I believe he is overcharging for subpar apartments and should be investigated. His anxiety was due to his scheme being discovered.”

Dean ran a hand down his face. “Whatever. Let’s go back to my place for tonight and we can look at other places another day. That dude did seem a little off but it’s nothing to call the cops over.”

Castiel quirked an eyebrow. “Dean, I am the cops.” 

Dean raised an eyebrow in return. “Babe, you’re a homicide detective, not property fraud or whatever this would be.” He reached out his hand for Cas to take and lead his boyfriend towards the stairs. “C’mon, I worked all day and you did too. Let’s get to my place, get some food, and maybe if we’re both up to it we can do a little stress relief later.” He wiggled his eyebrows and smirked, hoping that would convey his meaning.

Cas seemed to get it, lighting up and pulling Dean in for a kiss, but Dean swore he heard Cas mutter something about reporting it at work the next day as they left the building.

__________

The next place they went to had issues of a different kind. It was another small building, this time owned by a man named Martin Creaser who had been a friend of Dean’s father. However, he didn’t seem to quite understand what they were looking for.

“So, two bedrooms, right?” He glanced between the two of them, missing the look of confusion they shared. 

“No, one bedroom will be fine.” Castiel stared at the man, his head beginning to tilt. 

“Really?” Martin looked between the two of them, an odd smile on his face. “It’s a bit odd for two men to be sharing a room at your age. If price is your concern, don’t be worried. I can give you a discount since I was friends with your old man.” He nodded at Dean as he said the last part, missing the look of realization crossing the younger man’s face. 

“Martin, we’re a couple.” Dean took Castiel’s hand to demonstrate, giving it a squeeze. 

“Really?” Martin’s tone of skepticism was beginning to get on Dean’s nerves. 

“Yes.” Dean stared the other man down. “We’ve been dating around a year now and would like to move in together, which is why we only need one bedroom.”

“Really?” Martin asked again, making Dean feel ready to punch him. “What would your father say Dean? I hardly think John Winchester would approve of his boy dating another man. And I can’t imagine he’d be happy to find out that one of this sons was gay.”

Dean was getting really angry now. “What he would say or think doesn’t matter, because he’s dead now and was barely around before that because he was too busy drinking himself to death. And not that it’s any of your business, but I’m bisexual, not gay. Now family friend or not, I don’t think my boyfriend and I want anything to do with you or your apartment. So goodbye and good riddance.” He dragged Cas to the door by the hand, pausing in the doorway to pull him in for a kiss. Castiel could tell it was mainly out of anger and done to spite the gaping man still standing in the hallway behind them, but he went with it anyways. 

__________

The next place they went too seemed more promising. It was easily the nicest place they’d been to yet. The whole apartment was spacious and recently updated. There were two assigned parking spots in the attached garage, and it was a good distance from where both of them worked. Plus they’d been holding hands the whole time and even announced they were a couple with zero problems. It was everything they would have wanted, but it was a bit above their price range. The apartment was one of the many properties in town owned by Roman Enterprises and they were getting a tour from the city’s biggest landowner himself, Richard Roman. 

“I’m sure you boys will find this property satisfactory. If not, we can take a look at one of my other buildings.” He turned around and smiled at them in a way that looked less than genuine. His eyes also lingered on Cas in a way that made Dean a bit uncomfortable. 

“Can we look around by ourselves a bit?” Dean was eager to get away from Dick, but hoped it didn’t show. 

“Of course.” His oily grin didn’t falter. “I’ll be in the hallway outside.” With that he turned and left the apartment, closing the door behind him. 

Dean guided Cas over to the island that separated the kitchen from the living area. They sat on the stools and turned to face each other. 

“So,” Dean reached out and took Cas’ hand. “What do you think of this place?”

“I like it.” Cas spoke cautiously, thinking as he spoke. “It has everything we’re looking for, seems to be in very good shape, and Roman Enterprises has a good reputation. It is a bit expensive, but I’m sure one or both of us could pick up a few more shifts to make it work.”

“Really?” Dean raised an eyebrow as his boyfriend nodded. “Babe, I don’t want to live here. It’s expensive and Dick gives me the creeps.”

“Are you sure?” Cas squeezed Dean’s hand and tilted his head. “He seemed fine to me.”

“Cas, he was looking at you like he wanted to eat you alive.” Dean raised his eyebrows at the detective’s unconvinced expression. “Plus, I’ve heard negative things from people that have rented from him before. They say that he’s a little weird and just kinda treats his tenants like they’re just meat taking up space to make him money.”

Cas narrowed his eyes. “Any unscrupulous business practices have yet to be reported, Dean.”

Dean sighed. “Still, can we just look somewhere else, please? We can always come back if nothing else measures up.”

“Fine.” Cas slid off of his stool and led Dean to the door. “But the bar is set high now.”

__________

The search continued fruitlessly for a while after that. There were a lot of places that got vetoed because it didn’t have something one or both of them wanted. There were a few where they held off because of the landlord (including one where Cas insisted that their would-be landlady was checking Dean out, resulting in Dean reassuring Cas that he only wanted to be with him in every way possible). Finally they crashed at Dean’s place after another day of fruitless searching, thoroughly exhausted. Dean was sprawled over the couch and Cas was slumped in the armchair. They sat in silence for a while before Dean finally spoke.

“What if we just bought a house together?” The words that slipped from Dean’s mouth seemed to even surprise him.

Cas raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Dean, that would be a major investment.”

Dean sat up on the couch. “It would, but I think we can afford it. If we pool our savings and get a good deal, we could probably get a nice place. Even if we end up with a mortgage to pay off, it might not end up being much higher than rent would be. I think we could manage it.”

“I’m not convinced.” Cas straightened up, looking Dean in the eye. “We’d have to start our search all over again. And if you thought looking for an apartment was bad, looking for a house could be worse. We couldn’t just move out of there were problems. It would be a much bigger hassle to relocate.”

“Yeah, but we could also change things to how we want without having to worry about some landlord getting on our case about it. It would be our place to do what we wanted with.” Dean stood up, moving to kneel in front of Cas. “Babe, can we please just look around? If we don’t find anything we can go back to looking for apartments.”

Cas sighed. “Alright, we’ll look. But this is pretty major, Dean.”

Dean smiled and leaned up to peck Cas on the lips. “I know. But I feel like I’m ready to go there with you. I want this.”

__________

Two months later they were preparing to move in to their new house. It was somewhat small, only two bedrooms and one bathroom, and it needed some repairs. But it had a garage to park their cars, a good sized kitchen and living area, a yard in the back, and, most importantly, it was theirs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering about the extra bedroom in their house, for now it's just a guest bedroom/office. But I will be writing more timestamps. 
> 
> As for the other timestamps, the next one is already in the works, but I'm not sure when it'll be done. Probably sooner rather than later though.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked this! Like usual updates will be frequent and any and all feedback is appreciated. You can leave a comment, kudo, bookmark, or subscription here or hit me up on [ my tumblr](http://that-one-curly-haired-chick.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
